Displaying items by tag: Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan: Karaganda cement plant has secured a US$3m loan from VTB Bank Kazakhstan to finance production growth at the unit. The Bank and Karcement JSC, which owns the cement plant, signed a corresponding agreement within the state program aimed at the development of domestic producers, according to the Trend News Agency. The plant has a production capacity of 3.6Mt/yr and it had been in operation since 1953.

Kazakhstan: Seven Refractories has opened a plant in Karaganda with a production capacity of 40,000t/yr. The first production run was completed in mid-February 2017. The unit is the Slovenian company’s most easterly production site.

Kyrgyzstan: Cement produced in Kyrgyzstan has become ‘uncompetitive’ since the country joined the Eurasian Economic Union. The State Committee for Industry, Energy and Mining has blamed this on high volumes of imports from Kazakhstan, according to the Tazabek newspaper. The country has five integrated cement plants.

Kazakhstan: The Rudny cement plant in the Kostanai region is due to be commissioned in 2017. The US$46m unit has a cement production capacity of 0.5Mt/yr, according to a local government official reported upon by Interfax. Construction of the plant has been put on hold repeatedly since 2010 due to lack of financing.

Kazakhstan: Commissioning of the Kokshe Cement plant in the Akmola region is expected to be completed later in 2017. Construction and installation work at the site has been completed, according to the Kazakhstan government. The plant will have a cement production capacity of 2Mt/yr and it has cost US$187m to build.

Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement’s revenue has fallen by 8% year-on-year to US$54m in 2016 from US$59m in the same period in 2015. Sales volumes of cement fell by 4% to 1.57Mt from 1.64Mt. The drop in revenue and sales volumes was blamed on increased competition and the start-up of two cement kilns in the country.

The cement producer reported that the country’s cement consumption fell by 8% to 8.9Mt in 2016. It imported 0.5Mt and exported 0.4Mt, with imports falling and exports rising respectively. The cement producer said that its market share was 17% in 2016. It will publish its full financial results for the year in April 2017.

Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement has reduced its consolidated loss after tax to US$1.5m in the first half of 2016 from US$2.2m in the same period in 2015. Its turnover fell by 47% year-on-year to US$23.7m from US$44.7m due to a devaluation of the Kazakh Tenge. Despite this, it increased its sales of cement by 6% to 0.76Mt from 0.72Mt.

The cement producer reported that the Kazakh cement market decreased by 10% during the first half of 2016. It expects a market of about 9Mt in 2016, down from 9.6Mt in 2015. Steppe Cement has increased its market share to 18% year-on-year in the reporting period from 16% and it expects to reach a share of 19% for the full year. Imports of cement into Kazakhstan have decreased by 63% in 2016 as the Russian Rouble exchange rate has returned to its historical level against the KZT. Imports represent 5% of the market down from 12% in 2015.

China: Huaxin Cement’s sales revenue has fallen by 11% year-on-year to US$860m in the first half of 2016 from US$968m in the same period of 2015. Its net profit fell by 91% to US$1.21m from US$13.3m. The cement producer reported falling sales in most regions, with the exception of Tibet and Henan. Notable decreases in sales revenue occurred in Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Guangxi. The company blamed the result on falling prices caused by production overcapacity and ‘vicious’ market competition.

Outside of China the company has started operation at its 300t/day Gayur plant and it is building a 0.5Mt/yr grinding plant at Dangara in Tajikistan. Planning work has also been conducted at a 2800t/day cement plant at Narayani in Nepal and a 2500t/day cement plant at Aktobe in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement’s sales volumes rose by 6% year-on-year to 762,000t in the first half of 2016 from 718,000 in the same period of 2015. However, its sales revenue fell slightly to US$24m from US$25m. The cement producer also reported that its local market share increased to 18% in the first half of 2016 from 16% and it exported 4% of its sales compared to 0% in 2015.

The cement market in Kazakhstan decreased by 10% during the first half of 2016 compared to the same period of 2015. However overall cement shipments from local companies remained stable compared to 2015 as imports decreased by 63% (representing 5% of the local market) and exports doubled due to the favourable exchange rate against the currencies of surrounding countries. Steppe Cement estimates that national consumption will be around 9Mt in 2016.

Kazakhstan: Chinese investors have proposed to build a 075Mt/yr cement plant in the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan. The proposal was revealed as part of 13 memoranda of cooperation worth US$451m signed between the Governor’s Office of Kyzylorda region and the People's Government of Jiangxi Province, China.