Displaying items by tag: Germany
HeidelbergCement hurt by weaker currencies
08 November 2013Germany: HeidelbergCement said that profit for the third quarter of 2013 fell by 7% due to weaker currencies in emerging markets.
Operating income before depreciation was Euro811m in the third quarter of 2013 compared with Euro872m during the same period in 2012. Sales fell by 1.3% to Euro3.89bn.
The German cement producer said that lower energy and raw material costs and price increases could not compensate for the negative currency effects. A cost-cutting programme dubbed 'Fox 2013' had already exceeded a full-year target of Euro240m, generating cash savings of Euro253m.
Belgium/Germany: The European Commission has launched an investigation into the planned sale of Cemex's assets in the west of Germany to Holcim as the deal may harm competition. The commission is concerned that the planned acquisition of the German company Cemex West may reduce competition in parts of Germany and Belgium, where Cemex West is an 'actual or potential competitor' of Holcim. The commission intends to make a decision by 10 March 2014.
In August 2013 the Mexican cement producer Cemex and Swiss multinational cement maker Holcim announced plans to swap assets in Europe. On 18 October 2013 the commission announced that it would investigate Cemex's bid to buy Holcim's cement operations in Spain.
Contracts for Gebr. Pfeiffer in Indonesia and Germany
17 October 2013Germany: Dyckerhoff AG's Palatine cement plant in Göllheim, Germany has been operating an MPS 140 K mill for coal since 1983 and an old-style static classifer. As modern coal firing systems require a finer product quality, the customer has decided to purchase a high-efficiency SLS 1120 BK classifier from Gebr. Pfeiffer SE. The classifier is guaranteed to separate the material to a fineness of 3% R 90µm. It will be installed in mid February 2014.
Indonesia: Gebr. Pfeiffer SE, the German vertical roller mill manufacturer, is to supply five vertical roller mills to Indonesia's booming cement market.
China's Sinoma International Engineering Co. Ltd., acting as the general contractor for PT Cemindo Gemilang's new 10,000t/day cement production line in Bayah, Java, has ordered two MPS 5300 B vertical roller mills for raw material grinding, two MPS 5300 BC vertical roller mills for cement grinding and an MPS 4500 BK vertical roller mill for coal grinding.
The MPS raw mills are designed to achieve a capacity of 400t/hr each. The throughput rate of the cement mills will be 220t/hr each and the coal mill yielding 100t/hr will be the world's largest vertical roller mill to date for coal grinding.
The order includes the supply of workshop drawings to enable the local manufacture of the mill components and the supervision of manufacture at Chinese workshops. Erection and commissioning will be supervised by staff from Gebr. Pfeiffer. Delivery is slated for the third quarter of 2014.
AVIC leads bid for German cement plant builder KHD
16 October 2013Germany: AVIC International Beijing Company (AVIC) has lead an offer to buy KHD Humboldt Wedag International AG in a deal worth US$433m. It hopes to acquire all of the remaining KHD shares by way of a voluntary public takeover offer.
At the same time it has entered into share purchase agreements with numerous sellers to purchase 19.03% of shares in the German cement plant builder. Through its subsidiary, Max Glory Industries, AVIC already owns 20% of KHD, which will bring its total to 39.03%.
"This is a long-term investment for us. A more stable shareholder base will benefit KHD's worldwide employees, customers, suppliers and financing partners and KHD will continue providing environmental friendly and state-of-the-arts products and services," said Mr Diao, president of AVIC Beijing Company.
HeidelbergCement releases 2011/2012 Sustainability Report
18 September 2013Germany: HeidelbergCement has reduced its specific net carbon dioxide emissions by 21% to 607.5 kg/t of cement since 1990 according to its 2011/2012 Sustainability Report. Its alternative fuels rate increased to 21.7% in 2012. This is the fifth sustainability report that the German-based cement producer has published.
"Sustainable business practices are a fundamental condition as well as an integral component of our business activities and therefore central to the activities and decisions of our management teams on the ground," said Dr Bernd Scheifele, CEO of HeidelbergCement.
Despite increasing its alternative fuels mix, HeidelbergCement reported changes in its traditional fossil fuels mix for clinker production. Hard coal usage fell but petroleum coke and natural has saw rises in usage. NOx, SO2 and dust emissions all fell from 2011 to 2012.
Refratechnik Group takes over Burton
17 September 2013Germany: The Refratechnik Group, a manufacturer of ceramic refractory products to the cement and various other industries, has acquired the facilities of Burton GmbH & Co. KG located in Melle, near Osnabrück, Germany. Burton will continue business operations under the name Refratechnik Ceramics GmbH with immediate effect, maintaining the jobs at the Melle site.
As a result of this strategic takeover, Refratechnik Ceramics will become a market leader and global supplier of refractory products for industrial furnaces in the ceramics industry. In this field, the product range covers wall, roof and car systems as well as furniture for tunnel kilns, in which products such as refractory ceramics, roof tiles, sanitary ware and other ceramic products are fired. Burton Kiln Furniture in Hungary, which was also taken over by Refratechnik Ceramics, primarily produce cast refractory materials.
Refratechnik Group says that Burton's industrial customer base and product portfolio is a contribution to Refratechnik's constant expansion of its business operations, in particular in the fields of primary aluminium and waste incineration.
With the acquisition of Burton, the Refratechnik Group now has 18 sites on four continents. Nine of these are state-of-the-art production facilities for burnt, shaped, and unshaped refractory products. Two other sites are in the raw materials business.
Czech-mate for Cemex?
04 September 2013Cemex's decision to head deeper into eastern Europe as part of the Cemex-Holcim asset swap announced this week suggests some nerve. Cement production levels started to fall in the region from 2012, according to Cembureau figures, with continued problems reported so far by the multinational cement producers in 2013. Cemex seems likely to lose money from the start with its new assets in the Czech Republic.
In more detail, Cemex will acquire all of Holcim's assets in the Czech Republic, which include a 1.1Mt/yr cement plant, four aggregates quarries and 17 ready-mix plants. In return Holcim will give Cemex Euro70m and Cemex will give Holcim its assets in western Germany including one cement plant and two grinding mills that encompass a total capacity of 2.5Mt/yr, one slag granulator, 22 aggregates quarries and 79 ready-mix plants.
Cemex must believe that it can wait out the recovery of the construction sector in eastern Europe or make savings from having a more easterly spread of assets. Certainly Cemex said in its press release on the asset swap that its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) would start to rise from US$20m to US$30m from 2014.
The question for the buyers at Cemex who considered this deal is whether the construction market has bottomed out in the Czech Republic yet. According to World Bank figures, following the 2008 financial crisis Czech Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell to a low of US$197bn in 2009, rose again until 2011 but then fell to US$196bn in 2012. Currently the Czech National Bank is anticipating a further fall in growth in 2013. Meanwhile, data from a third quarter 2013 Czech construction sector analysis by CEEC Research reported that a drop of at least 4.7% was expected in 2013 with a follow-on decline of 2.7% in 2014.
Possibly one deal-maker for Cemex was the prospect of combined operations with Holcim in Spain across cement, aggregates and ready-mix. Similar to the Lafarge-Tarmac joint-venture in the UK, the move offers reduced risk in a declining western European market. How the Spanish competition authorities will respond remains to be seen. Elsewhere on the continent this week the decision by the Belgian Competition Council to fine the Belgian cement sector shows an example of behaviour the Spanish authorities will want to avoid.
Holcim and Cemex to swap assets in Europe
29 August 2013Europe: Mexican cement producer Cemex and Swiss multinational cement maker Holcim have announced that they have reached an agreement to conduct a series of transactions in Europe. The transactions will are expected to be complete in the final quarter of 2013, subject to regulatory approval.
Cemex will acquire all of Holcim's assets in the Czech Republic, which include a 1.1Mt/yr cement plant, four aggregates quarries and 17 ready-mix plants.
Cemex will sell its assets in the western part of Germany to Holcim, which include one cement plant and two grinding mills that encompass a total capacity of 2.5Mt/yr, one slag granulator, 22 aggregates quarries and 79 ready-mix plants. Cemex will retain its interests in other parts of the country.
In Spain, Cemex and Holcim will combine all their cement, ready-mix and aggregates operations. Cemex will have a 75% controlling interest over the combined operational assets and Holcim will control 25%.
As part of these transactions, Holcim will pay Cemex Euro70m in cash. Additionally, the transactions are expected to generate synergies that will result in a recurring improvement in Cemex's EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) of US$20-30m, which will begin to be realised in 2014.
"When finalised, this will be an important strategic step that should allow Cemex to improve its footprint in Europe and it will consolidate our portfolio in the continent," said Lorenzo H Zambrano, Chairman and CEO of Cemex.
"This transaction will significantly strengthen our presence in Germany while at the same time giving us the necessary flexibility in Spain," said Holcim CEO Bernard Fontana. "Overall, our footprint in Europe will be considerably strengthened."
Michael Mutz appointed head of cement sales at Aumund
09 August 2013Germany: Dr Michael Mutz has been appointed the head of cement sales at Aumund Fördertechnik. In his new role Mutz will oversee sales of both new equipment and retrofits. The new position will be in addition to Mutz's exisiting job as head of the Mineral Processing division (previously Mining & Minerals), which he assumed in April 2012. Aumund specialises in conveying and storage for the cement industry
Germany: HeidelbergCement has announced improved operating results in the second quarter of 2013 despite claims that poor weather conditions in Europe and North America had hampered its performance. The group's revenue was stable at Euro3.8bn for the three months to 30 June 2013 and at Euro6.56bn for the first six months of 2013.
HeidelbergCement's net profit for the second quarter of 2013 was Euro469m, a 92% increase year-on-year from Euro245m in the second quarter of 2012. Over the first half of 2013, its profit rose by Euro285m from just Euro86m in the first half of 2012.
"HeidelbergCement has successfully continued the positive earnings development in the second quarter despite challenging conditions," said Dr Bernd Scheifele, chairman of the managing board. "The measures that we introduced to improve margins are showing results. We were able to implement price increases in our principal markets and our efficiency improvement programmes are progressing according to plan."
The group saw regional variation in its cement sales during the period under review. While construction activity in Europe and parts of North America was hindered due to heavy rain and flooding in some areas, HeidelbergCement's cement deliveries benefited from the sustained increase in demand in its Asian and African markets as well as from the continued economic recovery in other parts of North America, especially in the southern US.
During the second quarter, the group's cement and clinker sales volumes dropped slightly by 0.8% to 24.3Mt from 24.5Mt in 2012. The Asia-Pacific group area experienced the strongest growth in sales volumes, followed by North America and Africa-Mediterranean Basin. Cement sales volumes in the Western and Northern Europe group area remained broadly stable. Deliveries in the UK were more than 10% above the values of 2012 due to the emerging recovery in private residential construction. Sales volumes in Germany and in the bordering countries of eastern Europe were adversely affected by heavy rainfall and flooding.
The Eastern Europe-Central Asia group area recorded a decline in sales volumes of more than 10%. Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic were the most severely affected. In addition, the harsh austerity policies of these countries had a negative effect on public infrastructure construction. In the first half of 2013 cement and clinker sales volumes decreased slightly by 0.8% to 42.4Mt from 42.7Mt in 2012.
Looking ahead, in North America, HeidelbergCement still expects ongoing economic recovery and consequently a further increase in demand for building materials, especially from residential construction and the raw materials industry. A three-layered economic development is anticipated in Europe and central Asia. It says that the markets in Germany, northern Europe and the UK should continue to develop positively and expects those in central Asia to remain stable. In Benelux and eastern Europe a continuing weak development of the economy and demand for building materials is anticipated. In Asia and Africa, the group still expects sustained positive demand.