Displaying items by tag: Upgrade
US: Holcim US plans to invest US$100m to modernise its Ada cement plant in Oklahoma State, according to Robin DeCarlo, vice president of Holcim's corporate communications. The company submitted an application for a permit to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in June 2014 and expects to begin upgrading the plant between October and December 2014.
"We can't start without a permit from DEQ," DeCarlo said. She didn't release specific details about the modernisation but indicated that it would include upgrading the kiln line. DeCarlo noted that the modernisation of the kiln line will meet 'all known environmental regulations and reduce all major regulated emissions,' even with the increased plant capacity.
"We are expecting that there will be approximately 250 temporary jobs during the modernisation phase, which will have a direct and positive impact on the Ada economy," said DeCarlo. "The modernisation will increase our plant's capacity by about 20%." Holcim's plant in Ada currently employs about 120 people.
Government loan of US$67m would help Industria Nacional del Cemento to reactivate contracts
11 June 2014Paraguay: The Paraguayan Congress is set to approve a US$67m loan to state-owned cement producer Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC) to resume investment in its Villeta and Vallemi cement plants. The funding will allow INC to continue its US$25.7m contract with FLSmidth to convert its fuel from fuel oil to coke as well as its US$6.3m contract with Claudius Peters, according to Esmerk news service. Other contracts are with Haver & Boecker, for US$7m to install two bagging facilities, and with Daca to optimise an agricultural lime plant, which is suspended due to legal issues, for US$5.9m. Overall, the investments that will be made with the loan will save INC US$30m/yr.
Kazakhstan: Karaganda Cement has started the operation of its No. 5 cement production line, the administration of the Karaganda Region has announced. The project cost US$67m and it has created 115 jobs. The cement plant will reach its design cement production capacity of 1.5Mt/yr in 2015. Karaganda Cement is owned by Steppe Cement Holding, a subsidiary of Central Asian Cement.
Angola: The Nova Cimangola cement plant will get US$116m from the Angolan government to boost its cement production capacity, as per a presidential decree. The funds will be transferred by the Finance Ministry and will ensure a greater cement supply to the Angolan market and reduce cement prices.
The presidential decree described the importance of cement in the process of repairing and building manufacturing and social infrastructure in Angola, as well as for execution of house building programmes. The shareholders of Nova Cimangola are Ciminvest (49%), the Angolan State (40%) and the state bank Banco Angolano de Investimentos (10%). The remaining 1% is in the hands of individual shareholders.
Zimbabwe: Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe plans to increase its cement production capacity to 0.5Mt/yr once a current plant upgrade is complete, according to an official. At present Lafarge reports a 70% capacity utilisation rate at its Manresa cement plant, producing 0.37Mt/yr.
"Capital to the tune of US$15m has been earmarked to eradicate bottlenecks and to boost volumes," said Lafarge Zimbabwe chief executive Amal Tantawi in an interview reported by the Herald newspaper. Lafarge has spent about US$5m on plant refurbishments over the past five years and it is now focusing on improving the cement production capacity of its existing plant.
Lafarge Zimbabwe is also in the process of conducting feasibility studies to establish a new manufacturing plant to complement the existing one. Tantawi added that Lafarge Zimbabwe was still keen on exporting cement despite a decline in export volumes in 2013. The company has been focusing on the local market since 2013 due to increased demand. Despite high demand for cement Tantawi highlighted liquidity issues with the local economy as the biggest challenge facing Lafarge. To tackle this Lafarge is rolling out different incentives to encourage its customers to make cash payments.
Lafarge Zimbabwe has also launched Supaset cement in the country following its use on other African states. The product is as a fast setting solution for the block making and precast segments of the construction industry.
Germany: KHD has reported that it has started two modernisation projects for HeidelbergCement's cement plant in Lengfurt, Germany. These projects include the modernisation of the raw meal grinding unit with KHD SKS VC 3000 dynamic separator and the modernisation of an existing preheater with KHD's new PH5835 cyclones.
KHD's responsibility includes manufacturing, erection and commissioning for both projects. The raw meal grinding unit has been in operation since its successful installation in April 2014 and the installation of the new preheater cyclones is scheduled to begin in the winter of 2015.
Egypt: Suez Cement Company has announced plans to invest US$42.8m to convert two out of its four plants to use coal instead of natural gas following a controversial government decision to import coal as a means of addressing power shortages.
The conversion process for each plant will cost around US$21.4m, according to Mohammed Shanan, Suez Cement's business development director. Another company source estimated the overhaul will take between 6 - 8 months. The company is still waiting for final approval from the Ministry of Environment to use coal in the production of cement.
Suez Cement's production fell by 50% during the first quarter of 2014 as a result of fuel shortages, which has led to a 50% decline in sales.
The Egyptian Cabinet approved the use of coal for power generation in April 2014, despite the disapproval of Minister of Environment Laila Iskandar. The Egyptian government had cut natural gas supply to plants in an attempt to conserve energy resources.
A number of non-governmental organisations, including the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, condemned the decision to use coal in a statement in April 2014, forecasting that it will have 'devastating consequences on health and the economy.' The Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights, with support from the Doctor's Syndicate, has filed a lawsuit against interim Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb, President Adly Mansour and the ministers of trade, petroleum, electricity and environmental affairs in an attempt to block the use of coal in Egypt.
India: ACC Cement plans to invest US$499m to modernise its Jamul facility in Chhattisgarh and to add a grinding unit of 1.5Mt/yr capacity in its Jharkhand-based unit, according to ACC sales director C Kurian. ACC aims to decommission the existing plant at Jamul and set up a new technology-based cement plant with a 4Mt/yr production capacity. Kurian added that the Holcim-owned company is likely to finish the work by the second quarter of 2015.
ACC currently has a production capacity of 6Mt/yr but plans to raise it to 10Mt/yr by 2016. It has six plants and holds a market share of 12% in India.
ABB completes upgrade at Eastern Province Cement Company
02 April 2014Saudi Arabia: ABB has completed a process control system upgrade to three cement production lines at Eastern Province Cement Company (EPCC) in Al Khursaniya, Saudi Arabia. Power and automation technology supplier ABB updated the Extended Automation System 800xA to the latest standards.
"ABB has completed the final upgrade on site in a record time during the planned maintenance shutdown of the plant", said Mohammad Arif Khan, Electrical and Instrumentation Manager at EPCC.
The scope of supply included the updating the Extended Automation System 800xA licences, computer, laboratory and raw meal proportioning system hardware, as well as project management, engineering and site services, including training. The modernisation follows a previous process control system upgrade of the production lines number one and two in 2003, as well as equipment deliveries for the extension of the plant with line number three in 2005. The contract was booked in June 2013. Commissioning was completed in December 2013.
Zimbabwe: Wang Yong, the managing director of the Sino-Zimbabwe Cement Company, has reported that the joint-venture is on track to complete a US$5m upgrade to the Gweru cement plant in the Midlands province. Once the work is completed the plant's clinker production capacity is expected to double to at least 0.2Mt/yr.
"We are now halfway through the upgrade... We have installed a modern bag filter system to cut emissions. No more thick dust or smoke from the chimney now," said Wang to the Chinese news agency Xinhua. He added that around US$1m was spent on improving pollution control and the rest is being used to refurbish cement mills, rotary kilns, build a cement warehouse and install new packaging lines. The Sino-Zimbabwe Cement Company wants to attract larger investment from China to fund further facility upgrade and expansion. Cement producers in Zimbabwe are set to benefit from increased infrastructure developments if the government's five-year economic plan is fully implemented.
The plant is a joint venture between the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe and China Building Material Industrial Corporation for Foreign Econo-Technical Cooperation with an initial investment of US$54m. The plant employs more than 400 workers, with 95% from Zimbabwe.