Displaying items by tag: Madagascar

Madagascar: Cementis Océan Indien has launched a US$120m upgrade project to its integrated Ibity cement plant. The project is intended to increase the unit’s production capacity to 1Mt/yr from just under 0.2Mt/yr at present. A memorandum of understanding was signed by Cementis and the Ministry of Industrialisation, Commerce and Consumer Affairs in early December 2022. Completion of the project is scheduled for 2025.

Cementis agreed to buy Holcim’s businesses in Madagascar, Reunion, Comoros, Mauritius and Mayotte in late 2021.

Africa/Asia: Holcim has agreed to sell Holcim Madagascar, Holcim Reunion, Lafarge Comoros, Lafarge Mauritius and Lafarge Mayotte to Cementis Océan Indien, a newly launched subsidiary of Mauritius-based Taylor Smith Investment. The Les Echos newspaper has reported that Cementis Océan Indien's acquisition of Lafarge Seychelles is on-going.

Cementis Océan Indien chair Colin Taylor said "The companies that have been bought are all financially solid.” He added "Cementis is positioned as the regional leader in the production and distribution of cement."

Madagascar: Kolos Madagascar has begun importing cement to Madagascar with the aim of staking out a claim in the country’s growing cement demand, which was 1Mt/yr in 2020. The producer says that this figure represents 7% decade-on-decade growth from 935,000t in 2010.In 2020, full-year domestic cement production stood at 150,000t. The L’Express newspaper has reported that the producer intends to establish its own grinding plant in the country. It expects to complete the plant’s feasibility study andnecessary research and obtain environmental and operating permits by April 2023 in order to commission it before 2024.

Kolos Madagascar general manager Tsiry Rasolonjatovo said that ‘quintupled’ sea freight costs were the primary cost of a rise in Madagascan cement prices. He explained “International cement prices haven't budged that much.”Rasolonjatovo added “Madagascar spends US$76m/yr to serve its cementneeds, and another US$7.6m/yr is swallowed up by additional transport costs." He estimated that, along with the realisation of other companies’ planned projects, Kolos Madagascar’s upcoming grinding plantwill increase Madagascan-produced cement’s share of domestic deliveries to 80% from 16%.

Kolos Madagascar is a subsidiary of Mauritius-based construction company Gamma Civic.

Madagascar: Oman-based Raysut Cement has shared plans for a US$30m, 0.75Mt/yr clinker grinding plant in Toamasina, Madagascar. L’Express de Madagascar newspaper has reported that Raysut Cement will begin construction in June 2020 and enter production at the facility in mid-2022 at the latest. Raysut Cement Indian Ocean regional director Pascal Naud said, “Madagascar’s pre-capita cement consumption is around 22kg/yr, compared to 125kg/yr on average in sub-Saharan countries. It is therefore a market with high potential for this investment.”

On 2 February 2020 Raysut Cement entered into talks with Switzerland-based Cementia for acquisition of the latter’s 75% stake in the latter’s LH Maldives cement terminal. The group said it is currently ‘developing an external growth strategy by investing in several African countries such as Kenya and Uganda.’

Madagascar: LafargeHolcim has lobbied for cement homologisation norms to targeting importers. Chief Executive Officer François de Lesquen said that the company does not fear competition but wants a level playing field.

LafargeHolcim owns 90% and 66% respectively of Madagascar’s Ibity and Mahajanga cement plants, representing the entirety of domestic cement production. Holcim Madagascar yesterday launched its Orimbato 42.5 cement for heavy load-bearing concretes.

Egypt: Arabian Cement plans to increase its exports to Africa and Asia. A senior official said the cement producer is considering international expansion amidst strong competition at home, according to Daily News Egypt. At present the company has exported cement to Libya, Yemen, Kenya, Madagascar and Somalia.

Arabian Cement is a joint venture between Spain’s Grupo Cementos La Unión, the majority shareholder, and a group of local investors. It operates a 5Mt/yr cement plant in Suez governorate.

Madagascar: LafargeHolcim has launched a local franchise of its Binastore retail network at Tsaralalàna. The initiative has signed up 72 local firms, according to the L'Express de Madagascar. The building materials producer expanded its retail network in the Middle East and Africa in June 2017. It also operates a cement plant at Ibity near Antsirabe.