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Displaying items by tag: Investment
Kenya: East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) has announced plans to build a new clinker plant in Kajaido. The Nation newspaper has reported that it will cost US$200m to build. EAPCC plans to use local pozzolana, along with limestone and coral transported from Kenya’s Coast Province, in cement production at the plant. The producer says that it will clarify the timeframes of the project in 2024.
Cemex Ventures invests in Vizcab
22 November 2023France: Cemex’s venture capital unit Cemex Ventures has invested in construction value chain CO2 emissions monitoring software developer Vizcab. Vizcab aims to help enable built environments to conform to stricter environmental regulations.
Head of Cemex Ventures Gonzalo Galindo said “Vizcab's exhaustive solution enables cooperation between different stakeholders to manage carbon strategies throughout a project's lifecycle, a critical challenge in our complex and interconnected industry. This solution also implements the use of building materials with sustainable attributes, such as Cemex's Vertua portfolio of products.”
PPC raises first-half sales and earnings in 2024 financial year
20 November 2023South Africa: PPC recorded consolidated sales of US$335m during the first half of the 2024 financial year, up by 21% year-on-year from US$277m during the first half of the 2023 financial year. Meanwhile, its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 47%, to US$58.1m from US$39.6m. The group increased its cement sales volumes by 4%, and currency effects further helped to offset a 16% rise in its cost of sales. Cement volumes fell in South Africa, however PPC noted a locally ‘resilient performance’ despite a challenging market there and in Botswana, a ‘strong recovery’ in Zimbabwe and a ‘continued positive trajectory’ in Rwanda, via its subsidiary CIMERWA.
PPC said “The key focus for PPC will remain on its southern Africa businesses, including South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. This includes continuing to improve its profitability and enhance returns through further operational efficiencies and cost containment measures. Without a significant increase in infrastructure spending and South African gross domestic product, South Africa's cement demand is expected to remain subdued and sustainability is therefore dependent on both capital discipline and margin management. Notwithstanding, PPC South Africa remains well positioned to benefit from an increase in cement demand, with additional capacity readily available to capture an upswing in demand without significant additional capital expenditure being required.”
SRMPR Cements launches Portland pozzolana cement
02 November 2023India: SRMPR Cements has launched its Portland pozzolana cement (PPC) for the first time, in Tamil Nadu. The Hindu BusinessLine newspaper has reported that the company controls 420,000t/yr of cement production capacity across three facilities in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. It invested a total US$27m in its production facilities and warehouses. SRMPR Cements will sell its PPC in 50kg bags. It also plans to launch ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in the future. It said that its products will help to meet ‘massive’ demand from public construction projects.
CEO Ohm Prakash said that the producer has already concluded deals with 100 different regional retailers of cement.
France: Lafarge France has ignited the new kiln at its Martres-Tolosane cement plant following a Euro120m upgrade. Local press has reported that the upgrade replaced the plant’s existing kilns and preheater tower with entirely new equipment. The new kiln has tripled the plant’s capacity, to 2.1Mt/yr from 0.7Mt/yr. Meanwhile, the new preheater tower will help to reduce the plant’s electricity consumption by over 20%. As a result of the upgrade, the Martres-Tolosane plant can now support an alternative fuels (AF) substitution rate of 60%, compared to 20% beforehand. Lafarge France aims to carry out further work to reach 85% AF substitution at the plant by 2027. Other planned projects include the installation of a carbon capture system.
Lafarge France chief executive officer François Petry said “We are going to create a research and innovation centre here dedicated to the capture of CO2, with the ambition of ultimately making the Martres-Tolosane plant net zero carbon.”
CirCap-led consortium invests in Nanogence
19 October 2023Switzerland: Reduced-CO2 cement catalyst developer Nanogence has secured an undisclosed sum from a consortium of investors led by investment fund CirCap. Nanogence’s catalyst reduces the CO2 emissions of cement production by 40%, without changing production processes. Tech EU News has reported that the catalyst is capable of increasing cement’s strength and durability compared with that of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) produced without it. Prior to the latest financial development, the company had raised US$2.7m-worth of funding.
CEO Abhishek Kumar said “We are excited to receive the support from incoming renowned investors in this essential journey to accelerate the transition towards a low carbon built world. With growing demand worldwide, we need to align with like-minded strong backers for our growth phase.”
Zlatna Panega Cement to upgrade Zlatnopanegki cement plant
16 October 2023Bulgaria: Titan Cement subsidiary Zlatna Panega Cement plans to invest Euro11m in sustainability-enhancing upgrades to its Zlatnopanegki cement plant in Lovech Province. The work centres around a Euro7m alternative fuels (AF) upgrade, to raise the plant’s AF substitution rate to 70% from 50% in 2022. Besides this, the producer will also invest Euro4m in the construction of a solar power plant at the facility. The solar power plant is scheduled for commissioning in March 2024. General manager Adamantios Frantzis said that the plant will subsequently move on to its ‘next big project,’ consisting of a Euro35 – 50m upgrade, in 2026 – 2028.
Zlatna Panega Cement invested Euro5.7m in capital expenditure throughout 2022, more than double its investments of Euro2.6m in 2021. It is committed to interim CO2 reduction targets of 5000t/yr (Scope 1) and 3000t/yr (Scope 2 and 3), and net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
India: Dalmia Bharat has announced a planned investment of US$10.9m in a grinding unit expansion at its 1Mt/yr Banjari cement plant in Bihar. The expansion will raise the plant’s capacity by 500,000t/yr and conclude before 31 March 2025.
Górażdże Cement to invest Euro261m in carbon capture and waste concrete recycling at Górażdże cement plant
05 October 2023Poland: Górażdże Cement has announced an investment of Euro261m in planned sustainability upgrades to its Górażdże cement plant in Opole Voivodeship, the Polish News Bulletin newspaper has reported. The Heidelberg Materials subsidiary plans to build a carbon capture installation, a green energy source and a facility to recycle construction and demolition waste for use in its cement production.
China Energy International Group Samarkand Cement installs kiln at upcoming Samarkand cement plant
02 October 2023Uzbekistan: China Energy International Group Samarkand Cement has installed a 3Mt/yr kiln at its upcoming Samarkand cement plant. Local press has reported that the kiln is the largest at a cement plant in Uzbekistan. The Samarkand plant will cost US$313m to build. Parent company China Energy and the government of Uzbekistan previously indicated that construction would conclude in 2024. The plant will produce ordinary Portland cement (OPC) of the local designations M-400 and M-500. It will use coal as fuel in its cement production and directly employ 500 people.