Displaying items by tag: GCW191

India: Jaiprakash Associates is planning an integrated cement plant project in Dalla, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh. The project includes a 2.20Mt/yr clinker plant and a 1.50Mt/yr grinding plant. The site currently has a 2Mt/yr clinker plant, a 500,000t/yr grinding plant, a 27MW power plant and six captive limestone mines. The project is waiting for environmental clearance.

Europe: As announced on 7 April 2014, Holcim and Lafarge have entered into a business combination agreement on terms previously agreed, subject to various closing conditions. The transaction must be approved by 66% of Holcim's shareholders in an extraordinary general meeting, while 66% of Lafarge's shareholders will need to accept Holcim's exchange offer launched pursuant to French takeover rules.

Greece: Titan Group has reported a return to profit in 2014 after two loss-making years. The Greece-based cement producer has reported a profit before tax of Euro46.8m up from a loss of Euor9.4 in 2013. Turnover rose by 2.7% to Euro1.16bn from Euro1.13bn. However, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 2.6% to Euro182m from Euro168m. Titan attributed the turnaround to continuing recovery in the US, improvement in the Greek market and better performance in Turkey and Southeastern Europe. Despite this, gas shortages in Egypt hit results negatively.

By region, Titan Group saw demand for building materials in Greece grow in 2014 due to low levels in 2013 and the re-launch of a road building campaign. The company reported that utilisation rates at its cement plants in Greece depend on exports to countries with low energy costs and no constraints on carbon dioxide emissions. Total turnover for the Group's Greece and Western Europe region in 2014 increased by 14% to Euro285m. In Southeastern Europe construction activity remained subdued. Turnover fell by 3.5% to Euro208m in 2014.

The US led turnover, supplying over one-third of the Group's total turnover. Sales were led by high growth rates in Florida. Turnover rose by 14% to Euro469m in 2014. In Egypt cement demand grew by 2.4% in 2014 but gas shortages and permit application delays for alternative fuels reduced production and shrunk plant utilisation rates below 50%. Turnover fell by 22% to Euro197m although imports helped cushion profit margins.

Development activities in 2014 saw an investment in solid and alternative fuels particularly in Egypt. The first solid fuels grinding mill was brought on stream at the Beni Suef cement plant at the end of 2014.

Egypt: FLSmidth has received two contracts from the Egyptian cement producer Misr Cement Company in Qena for the supply of equipment for a cement plant which was originally supplied by FLSmidth. The equipment to be supplied includes among others an ATOX coal mill, an OK vertical cement mill, Pfister weighing and dosing systems, MAAG Gear reducers and Airtech filters.

"We are very happy to supply this additional equipment to an existing customer with whom we have co-operated since 1999. Our newly established Products & Upgrades group will be responsible for supplying the equipment - an offering which we are currently expanding," commented President of the FLSmidth Cement Division Per Mejnert Kristensen.

Brazil: Votorantim Industrial has reported that its revenue rose by 7% in 2014 to US$9.3bn from US$8.74bn in 2013. Net profit rose to US$600m from US$79.2m. The cement, metals, steel, energy, pulp and agribusiness group attributed the result to high prices in most of its businesses.

Votorantim Cimentos, its cement arm, was responsible for the largest portion of consolidated income. It saw sales volumes decline slightly to 37.1Mt/yr in 2014. Despite this, net revenue grew by 5% year-on-year to US$4.34bn due to higher prices. Notably, its North American operation recorded a rise in sales volume and revenue, driven by the recovery of the US economy.

Venezuela: Cemex has reached an agreement with the trade union representing its workers, Sintracea, regarding a new collective agreement. It is understood that discussions over a new agreement had been stalled for several years. As part of the new agreement, workers will receive a pay rise of Euro426, effective from 1 April 2015. This will benefit 1043 workers employed by Cemex at its plant in Pertigalete, Guanta, Anzoategui.

Saudi Arabia: Yanbu Cement Company (YCC) has signed a contract to set up a 34MW waste heat recovery (WHR) system at its 8.5Mt/yr capacity cement plant near Yanbu with China's Sinoma Energy Conservation Ltd for US$61.8m.

The WHR system will be on stream by the end of 2016 and will be one of the largest of its kind at a cement plant in the world. It will be the largest in Saudi Arabia. Once operational, this WHR system will result in substantial savings in terms of fuel dependence for power generation from the diesel power station. Carbon emissions at the plant will be reduced by more than 100,000t/yr. About 25% of YCC's energy requirement will be met from the WHR system.

Slovenia: Lafarge said that the country's environment inspectorate has ordered the plant to suspend operations as it lacks environmental permits. The inspectorate acted following a recent decision from the European Commission to refer Slovenia to the European Court of Justice for failing to issue an industrial permit to a major cement plant. The Commission is also asking for fines to be imposed.

Lafarge said in a statement on its website that it will respect the decision and shut down the kiln on 5 March 2015, but would lodge a complaint with the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning. Lafarge said that in the process of obtaining the required licences, it had operated in accordance with all relevant environmental standards and that numerous studies have shown that the plant does not have a major impact on local air quality. It also stressed that it had invested more than Euro33m to modernise the plant since it was bought by Lafarge some 13 years ago.

Malaysia: Quarrying at Gunung Kanthan, Perak by Lafarge Malaysia has alarmed green groups, who said that work has encro¬ached close to 'sensitive' areas. A small hill within the limestone mountain's southern area was reportedly mined in January 2015. Concern that rocks from Area B where the hill was located would be strewn along the adjacent Area C have caused fears that quarrying there would follow.

Gunung Kanthan, which is home to many endangered species of flora and fauna, is divided into several sections with Areas C and D located in the south. Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) president Henry Goh, who confirmed that quarrying had been conducted on the hill, cautioned that the removal of forestry there would have damaging effects on Areas C and D. Two new flora species were recently discovered in Area C, which is also home to nine species that are on Malaysia's Red List of Endangered Plants.

Goh said that Lafarge Malaysia had assured him that Areas C and D would not be affected. He also claimed that temples embedded in or around the mountain had received evacuation notices. Goh said that a biodiversity report by Universiti Malaya, commissioned by Lafarge Malaysia, had not been revealed.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has highlighted its concerns to Lafarge chairman Bruno Lafont. "We are concerned to learn that a road is being blasted immediately adjacent to Area C," said IUCN Species Survival Commission chairman Simon Stuart. He stated that Google Earth images showed that the forested valley next to Area C 'is being filled with rubble.'

Lafarge Mal¬aysia vice-president Mariano Garcia maintained that Areas C and D were out of the mining plans. He said that he did not know of the evacuation notices, but that monks and temple staff had entered the quarry site and verbally abused his workers. He also said Lafarge Malaysia had been trying to meet the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) to no avail.