Displaying items by tag: Ministry of Industry

Turkmenistan: A cement plant in Balkan province has started producing sulphate-resistant cement. A first batch of 7000t of the product has been manufactured, according to the Trend News Agency and local media. The Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan worked on the project with specialists from the Ministry of Industry and Turkmengeologiya State Corporation.

Cambodia: The Cambodian government is planning to cap the number of cement production licences after the opening of two new cement plants that are expected to start operations by the end of 2017, according to Hort Pheng, director of the Industrial Affairs Department at the Ministry of Industry. Pheng made his comments to the Phnom Penh Post newspaper in relation to Chip Mong Insee, a joint venture between Chip Mong Group and Thailand’s Siam Cement Group, and Battambang Conch Cement, a joint venture between Battambang KT Cement and China’s Anhui Conch. The new plants will join the country’s three existing plants operated by Kampot Cement, Cambodia Cement Chakrey Ting and Thai Boon Roong in Kampot province.

“Despite investors coming to ask us for potential locations for cement plants, the ones in Kampot and Battambang are enough. The other provinces lack the quality of limestone needed for cement production,” said Pheng. He added that, once all five plants were operational, they would produce almost enough cement to meet local demand. However, the local construction industry is expected to still need to import cement. Cement plants will be allowed to expand to meet this excess demand.

The 5000t/day Chip Mong Insee cement plant in Kampot is scheduled to open in October 2017. It had a budget of US$262m. The 5000t/day Battambang Conch Cement plant in Battambang has reportedly encountered delays in its construction and it is uncertain whether it will be completed by December 2017. Once open the plant plans to supply the domestic market first, before considering exports to Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.

Thailand: Asia Cement has arranged negotiations with the Ministry of Industry to retrieve a US$8.5m deposit placed as a guarantee for a limestone mine licence application. The cement producer was granted a licence to operate a limestone mine in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in 1997. However, an environmental order nullified the licence and allowed the government to keep the deposit, according to the Bangkok Post.

"The government and Asia Cement have set up legal teams to negotiate and seek solutions that are acceptable to both sides," said Chat Hongtiamchant, director-general of the ministry's Department of Primary Industries and Mines. The subsidiary of Italcementi also wants to drop the mine project due to a change in the market demand.

Nepal: The Nepalese Ministry of Industry (MoI) has allocated US$3.3m towards providing electricity connections to nine cement factories under its infrastructural development programme for manufacturing industries.

According to the Kathmandu Post, the cement plants chosen for the grant are Shivan Cement, Dang Cement, Laxmi Cement, Rolpa Cement, Ghorahi Cement, United Cement, Maruti Cement, Sarbottam Cement and CG Cement.

"A total of 23 cement factories have been selected for the infrastructure development programme for the current fiscal year, out of which nine will receive funds for electricity connectivity while another 14, including the nine, also will get incentives to construct access roads," said Industry Secretary Krishna Gyanwali.

The allocation follows the announcement in July 2013 of government plans to spend US$4m on building access roads to 14 cement plants as part of a wider US$11.3m infrastructure development scheme for the local cement industry. Cement plants that produce clinker using local limestone are eligible for the scheme.