Displaying items by tag: Philippines

Philippines: Holcim Philippines will invest US$35m in sustainability initiatives at its four plants over the next three years. The investments will also include US$17.5m for its waste management arm, Geocycle, increasing capacity for local government unit waste processing.

Chief sustainability officer Samuel Manlosa Jr. said "There is also a side where, if we want to take in more volume, we need to increase our capacity to shred and prepare the materials. Our cement plants, even as sophisticated and technologically advanced as they are, were constructed 20 years ago when norms were different, so we had to make changes in the process to make sure that the plants were able to accept more."

The company will further invest between US$8.7m and US$17.5m in renewable energy and electrification of its vehicle fleet. President and CEO Horia Adrian said "We are purchasing electricity right now, but we have plans to put in place solar facilities and we are looking at the possibility of using electricity generated from biowaste here. By the end of 2024, some of them should be ready."

He concluded that investments at the Bulacan and La Union plants are set to start this year, with those in Davao and Lugait scheduled for 2025.

Philippines: Cemex Philippines has launched a new 1500m² warehouse in Barangay Pangao West, Batangas, to improve its supply chain capabilities and meet the growing demand for construction materials in the region. This opening coincides with the Philippine national government's allocation of US$17.7bn for infrastructure development in 2024. The facility will support major development projects in Batangas, Quezon, and provide nearby provinces with cement. The Ibaan Warehouse operates 24 hours a day, providing staging areas for the loading and dispatch for cement products.

Luis Franco, president and CEO of Cemex Philippines, said "This warehouse is a great complement to our Luzon distribution network as it gives us a better position to address increasing cement demand in the market."

Philippines: A recent study from Cebu, Philippines presents a method for reducing greenhouse emissions in the cement industry. The research, supported by the Department of Science & Technology (DOST) of the Philippines, focuses on partially substituting cement with coal fly ash (CFA). According to the University of San Carlos researchers, CFA's efficacy as a cement substitute depends on its source, with variations in quality, performance, and water requirements when used in paste and mortar formulations.

The study evaluated CFA from a Philippine power plant, examining its use as a partial cement substitute. Researchers designed paste and mortar mixtures with different CFA-to-binder ratios and water-to-binder ratios. The study revealed that increasing the amount of CFA in cement up to 20% by weight could enhance compressive strength, ‘outperforming’ pure cement mixtures.

The study concluded that substituting a portion of cement with CFA not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also improves the compressive strength of the resultant material.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines has renewed its supply agreement to provide cement for Megawide Construction’s projects across Luzon in 2024. The partnership, initiated in 2016, continues amid increasing cement demand from Megawide.

Markus Hennig, Megawide's executive vice president, said "With our renewed supply agreement with Holcim Philippines, Megawide has reinforced its linkage with a like-minded partner who supports our vision of a first-world Philippines.”

Holcim Philippines president and CEO Horia Adrian said “We look forward to providing Megawide’s cement supply needs in 2024 and continuing engagements on possible collaborations to advance innovative and sustainable building in the Philippines.”

Philippines: DMCI Holdings is considering the acquisition of Cemex Holdings Philippines. Reuters has reported that the deal is valued at around US$715m. DMCI Holdings Chairman Isidro Consunji expressed optimism about the potential acquisition, but did not specify a completion timeline. DMCI Holdings is exploring diversification into new industries, with cement identified as a strategic addition.

Philippines: Shera is investing US$36m to establish its first production hub in the Philippines. Announced by Thunnop Jumpasri, president and country head for Philippines and Malaysia, the move marks a significant expansion in response to the robust growth in the local construction sector.

The new facility, located in Pampanga, commenced initial operations in 2023 and is anticipated to be fully operational by October 2024. With an initial capacity of 100,000t/yr, expected to double in the coming years, the plant will create 150 jobs. After 15 years of supplying fibre cement boards from Thailand and achieving US$27m in Philippine sales last year, Shera aims for 10-15% growth in 2024.

Thunnop Jumpasri said "This will be our first plant outside of Thailand. We plan to export to other countries from the Philippines to Taiwan, Korea and some parts of China, but we prioritise the Philippines first for now."

Philippines: DMCI Holdings has entered into negotiations to acquire Cemex Holdings Philippines, Reuters has reported, citing three sources ‘familiar with the matter.’ The sources expect the value of the transaction to exceed Cemex Holdings Philippines' current market capitalisation of US$375m. One source reportedly valued any future deal at an estimated US$714m.

Philippines: The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CEMAP) has warned that cement sector workers could be laid off due to competition from imports from Vietnam. It stated that local demand for cement has fallen and that the production capacity of the cement industry far exceeds expected demand in 2024, according to the Business World newspaper. The association noted that the cement industry employs 130,000 personnel both directly and indirectly.

CEMAP said in a statement, "As it stands, the Philippine cement industry has been forced to downscale operations as imports continue to cannibalize the market and, in certain cases, lay off workers due to the worsening market situation. With the projected increase of cement imports, manufacturers will be forced to further downscale operations until demand recovers or importers cease dumping and exploiting the local market."

National cement production capacity is reported to be 53Mt/yr in 2024 compared to anticipated demand of 34.5Mt. CEMAP says that 7Mt of cement was imported in 2023 despite selected anti-dumping tariffs. It expects this to rise in 2024 due to a contraction in the Vietnamese market.

Philippines: Petra Cement has concluded a manufacturing and sales agreement with industrial conglomerate Phinma Corp. Reuters has reported that the agreement gives Phinma Corp. operations control over Petra Cement’s Zamboanga grinding plant on the island of Mindañao.

Phinma Corp. is already active in Philippine cement production through its subsidiary Philcement, which operates the 2Mt/yr integrated Bataan cement plant in Central Luzon.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines recorded sales of US$332m during the first nine months of 2023. This represents a 4% drop from nine-month 2022 levels. The producer reported operating earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) of US$25.2m. Throughout the period, Holcim Philippines co-processed 800,000t of alternative fuel (AF) at its plants. Blended cement products ended September 2023 at 75% of its cement sales.