Displaying items by tag: Mining
India: Meghalaya Cement, Star Cement and Amrit Cement have been accused of illegally mining 1.8Mt of limestone in Meghalaya between 2013 and 2018. The Northeast Now newspaper has reported that the companies mined the limestone in a tribal area of the state without environmental, forest or wildlife clearance or No Objection Certificates (NOCs). Local cement producers also allegedly owe the state government around US$40m in related limestone mining licence fees. All three cement producers reportedly made donations to a local political party.
The state government is also investigating allegations that two of the cement producers have polluted two local rivers, Wah Lukha and Wah Lunar. The former river allegedly turned ‘deep blue’ due to pollution.
Trishul Cements receives US$13.6m fine for illegal limestone mining in Andhra Pradesh
02 December 2020India: The Indian Department of Mines and Geology has fined Trishul Cements around US$13.6m for the alleged unlawful extraction of 14,000t of limestone from the Konuppalapadu limestone mine in Andhra Pradesh. The Times of India has reported that the state government terminated its lease of the land in relation to Trishul Cements in February 2020. Investigations unearthed continued mining activity at the site in Anantapur District, along with two other companies’ sites in the Muchakota forest area of the district.
ACC to sell National Limestone Company to Ghadiya Group
19 November 2020India: ACC plans to sell its National Limestone Company subsidiary to Ghadiya Group for around US$2.5m. National Limestone Company holds mining leases for limestone in the state of Rajasthan. Ghadiya Group operates in the construction and mining sector.
Anhui Haibo Intelligent Technology and Huawei sign mine vehicle automation project contract
11 September 2020China: Anhui Conch subsidiary Anhui Haibo Intelligent Technology has announced the signing with Huawei of a contract of collaboration towards developing systems for using driverless vehicles in mineral extraction operations. General manager He Shenzhong said, “Huawei and Conch have joined forces to empower traditional industries with high-intelligence technology. The goal is to create a world-class unmanned open-pit mine project, transform the unmanned technology achievements of open-pit mines into actual productivity projects, and establish unmanned open-pit mines – a new benchmark for the development of traditional industries.”
Adelaide Brighton secures Sellicks Hill quarry lease
28 August 2020Australia: Adelaide Brighton has extended its lease over its Sellicks Hill quarry in South Australia until 2090. The Advertiser newspaper has reported that the signing of the lease, which secures the company’s local supply of limestone, “coincides with a rise in local cement consumption due to the government’s South Australia HomeBuilder building and renovation subsidy scheme,” according to the company. In August 2020 Adelaide Brighton signed supply contracts with BHP and OZ Minerals for infrastructure projects in the state.
Australia: Adelaide Brighton has recorded a net profit of US$21.1m in the first half of 2020, compared to a US$13.0m loss in the first half of 2019. Revenues fell by 7.3% to US$508m from US$548m due to a 12% construction decline over the period, according to the company. Residential construction fell by 16%, however mining and infrastructure activity remained consistent with levels in the first half of 2019. Adelaide Brighton said, “Cement demand is likely to continue to benefit from a strong production outlook for gold, nickel, and iron ore in particular, and stable demand from the alumina sector.”
BUA Cement grows sales and profits so far in 2020
04 August 2020Nigeria: BUA Cement’s revenue grew by 12.7% year-on-year to US$261m in the first half of 2020 from US$232m in the same period of 2019. Its profit after tax rose by 13.7% to US$89.8m from US$78.9m. In comments reported by the Daily Independent newspaper, Yusuf Binji, the managing director of BUA Cement said that, “In a bid to further drive cost efficiencies and sustainability, we entered into strategic alliances for the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at the Kalambaina, Sokoto State and the management of our mining operations.”
The cement producer has a production capacity of 8Mt/yr. It plans to increase this to 11Mt/yr when it commissions a new 3Mt/yr plant in Sokoto State in 2021.
Cement Manufacturers Association of India lobbies government against mining licence changes
13 July 2020India: The Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) has contacted the Department for the Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade to urge its reconsideration of an expected decision that the CMA says will disrupt the mining sector, upon which eight key industries including cement depend. Indo-Asian News Service has reported that the government department may be considering the deletion of a provision of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (Amendment) Act that gives a captive lease to reconnaissance permit (RP) and prospecting licence (PL) holders to begin mining for minerals discovered in the licenced area. The CMA has argued that introducing any additional stage between explorations and extraction “would not go well with the spirit of ‘ease of doing business.’” It added, “The industry would like development policies to be predictable and consistent to usher in fresh investments as well as to protect the efforts and hardships that go into establishing an industrial setup.”
Canada: Haver & Boecker Niagara has launched a new service programme. Called PROcheck, the programme conducts operational analysis of screens used in raw materials processing. PROcheck reports to Haver & Boecker, which is then able to recommend to producers the best practices for raw materials processing proficiency. Haver & Boecker Niagara North America and Australia president Karen Thompson said, “By partnering with our customers through the PROcheck service programme, we are monitoring the efficiency of their screening process to identify potential problems early on.”
Thompson said, “We are experts at looking at the big picture,” “We engineer and manufacture both vibrating screens and screen media, and this gives us the insight to offer valuable advice producers won’t find elsewhere.”
Sino-Zimbabwe Cement Company and LiveTouch Invest plan US$30m grinding plant in Hwange
30 March 2020Zimbabwe: China-based Sino-Zimbabwe Cement Company and LiveTouch Invest, owner of Diamond Cement Zimbabwe, have acquired a six hectare site in the coal mining area of Hwange, Matabeleland North Province, and announced a planned investment of US$30m in the construction of a grinding plant which will grind clinker with waste materials from coal extraction to produce cement.
LiveTouch Invest had previously mooted the idea of a Zimbabwean clinker plant joint venture with South Africa-based PPC in July 2019.