Displaying items by tag: Investment

Mexico: Holcim Mexico plans to invest up to US$50m in 2019 as part of a project to improve plant efficiency and its Disensa distribution network. The subsidiary of LafargeHolcim said it wants to implement improvements at both its cement and ready-mix concrete plants, according to Reuters. It has a particular focus on reducing emissions. On the distribution side the building materials company said that its distribution business is a part of its long-term plan for Latin America.

Egypt: France’s Vicat and its subsidiary Sinai Cement plan to invest Euro30m in the local market. Vicat Egypt’s chief executive officer (CEO), Tamer Magdy, said that the investment is intended to meet demand for cement, according to Mubasher. He added that the company would continue to invest in the Sinai Peninsula despite on-going security issues.

India: The board of directors of Sagar Cements has approved investments in new cement plants in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. It plans to invest US$21m in Satguru Cement towards building a new 1Mt/yr plant at Indore in Madhya Pradesh. The project will also include a waste heat recovery unit. The total cost of the project is US$60m. Sagar Cements will hold a 65% equity share in Satguru Cement upon completion.

In Odisha the company has approved an investment of US$15m in Jajpur Cements in Jajpur. This project will build a new 1.5Mt/yr cement plant. The project has a total budget of US$43m. It is subject to approval by the Government of Odisha and other regulatory authorities as required.

India: Oman’s Raysut Cement plans to invest around US$700m in India by 2022. Joey Ghose, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the company, said that about US$200m has been set aside to buy majority stakes in two local producers in early 2019, according to the Hindu newspaper. Raysut Cement wants to increase its total cement production capacity to 20Mt/yr. The investment will be funded by internal revenue and loans.

The cement producer is holding talks with companies in Chhattisgarh and the coastal region of Gujarat respectively. Each company has a production capacity of around 1.2Mt/yr. Raysut Cement also intends to invest up to US$500m in these companies following their acquisition by 2022, bringing their capacity up to 5Mt/yr.

Outside of India, Raysut Cement also says it is interested in buying a 70% stake in Kenya’s ARM Cement for US$100m. It is also in discussions to acquire buy cement producers in Uganda and Djibouti. It currently has projects in development in Somaliland and Somalia. The company also holds a majority stake in Pioneer Cement Industries Georgia.

Oman: Four French investors and technology suppliers, including Fives and Suez, have created a syndicate to develop business opportunities in the Special Economic Zone Authority of Duqm. The other partners are CMA CGM and EDF Renewables. The companies intend to assess various investment options in the area and develop them. In particular, the syndicate has an interest in a ‘global approach to cement factory ecosystems’ and related facilities including transport facilities, a solar power generation plant and the production of alternative fuels.

Bangladesh: Saudi Arabian company Engineering Dimensions has expressed interest in building a cement plant at Chhatak in Sunamgan. The company’s president Mohammed N Hijji has met Secretary-in-Charge of the Industries Ministry M Abdul Halim about the project, according to the Financial Express newspaper. Engineering Dimensions says that the country’s high population, local demand and skilled workforce have attracted it to the location.

Uzbekistan: Representatives of Uzpromstroybank and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (UCBC) have met to discuss investment projects in the country to boost local industrial capacity. Proposals included expanding the production capacity of Kuvasoycement’s Kuvasay plant and the construction of a new cement plant, Yaypancement, according to the Trend News Agency.

Myanmar: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MNREC) is seeking expressions of interest from foreign and local investors to run a feasibility project ahead of building a new cement plant at Hakha Township in Chin State. Early studies suggest that the area has sufficient limestone reserves to support a 5000t/day plant, according to the Myanmar Times newspaper. A new unit in the region is expected to boost the local economy as Chin State has no cement plants.

Kenya: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) says it is still considering investing in ARM Cement after it entered administration in late August 2018. IFC Kenya Country Manager Manuel Moses said that the World Bank institution was waiting for the outcome of the administration process to complete to see if a ‘good proposal’ would emerge, according to the Standard newspaper. Moses made the comments while unveiling the IFC’s investments in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2018.

The Kenya cement producer has been placed into admiration for 12 months to attempt to solve its debt problems. The IFC was previously set to take over loans worth US$120m at ARM Cement in July 2018 and was also interested in an equity stake.

Taiwan/Turkey: Taiwan Cement and Turkey’s Sanko Holding have signed a memorandum of understanding and a confidentiality clause about the company’s plan to invest in Sanko’s cement business. Taiwan Cement said it would continue talks with the Turkish business group about a strategic partnership and would make details public once the parties sign a definitive contract, according to the Taipei Times newspaper. The cooperation agreement was first announced in June 2018.