Displaying items by tag: India
KHD to install 3-string preheater at Shree Cement
08 September 2016India: Shree Cement has awarded KHD with new projects for three more kiln lines, each with a capacity of 6000t/day.
The first project is for line two at Shree’s Raipur plant. The second new line will be built in Karnataka using a three-string preheater with the following equipment from KHD: three-string, six-stage preheater, PRZ 9575; three-pier rotary kiln Ø 5.4/5.0m x 75m long; and a Pyrojet burner; Pyrostep clinker cooler, PSC 3-154.16T. The project commencement date was 2 September 2016. The third project, at a location to be announced, will also be built using the equipment mentioned above.
Shree Cement has implemented 11 KHD high-efficiency kiln lines and many grinding stations, including 10 KHD roller presses.
MD of Malabar Cements denied bail over irregularities but receives diagnosis and treatment
07 September 2016India: Kerala Inquiry Commissioner and Special Vigilance Judge P. Jayachandran has denied bail to K. Padmakumar, managing director of Malabar Cements Limited, who was arrested in Palakkad on Monday 5 September by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) on charges of corruption and irregularity. Mr. Padmakumar is accused of irregularities in fixing dealers for the products of the cement company located at Walayar in Palakkad.
The judge also remanded him in judicial custody till Friday 9 September on the condition that he must be subjected to expert treatment at Government Medical College Hospital here for acute diabetes, after he was diagnosed with acute diabetes during medical examination at the district hospital. The doctors there also recommended his admission to the medical college hospital for specialised treatment and observed that he was not physically fit for custodial interrogation, at least for the time being.
In his bail plea, Mr. Padmakumar had contended that whatever actions he had taken as the managing director of the company were in accordance with collective decision and approval of the director board.
Pakistan records strong cement sales growth in mid-2016 despite Afghan export drop
07 September 2016Pakistan: Total cement despatches in Pakistand during the first two months of the current fiscal year clocked up at 4.9Mt, a 14% increase from 4.3Mt recorded in same period of 2015-16. However, according to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), overall export despatches have decreased: Exports in July-August were down almost 1% on a year-on-year basis to 1.022Mt. Overall domestic sales in August rose 21% to 3.02Mt from 2.5Mt in August 2015. Cement sales in the north zone were 2.495Mt in August, up 22.6% from a year ago. In the south zone sales recorded an increase of 13.2% at 0.532Mt from the same month of 2015.
Exports to Afghanistan dropped 12% to 346,928t in July-August on an annual basis, APCMA data shows. Exports by sea suffered even more. As opposed to 537,120t exported during the first two months of the preceding fiscal year, exports by sea in July-August 2016 were 407,120t, showing 24% decline on an annual basis.
However, increased exports to India made up for these shortfalls to some extent. Exports to India during the first two months of the current fiscal year grew 167% year on year to 268,230t.
A spokesman for the APCMA said the industry has been doubling its production capacity every seven to eight years. The buoyancy in the sector on the back of healthy domestic consumption during the last 20 months has encouraged the industry players to go for further capacity expansion. He said growth in the sector during the first two months of the fiscal year was in spite of Eid holidays. Growth of domestic consumption in August was also 'impressive,' as consistent rains failed to hurt construction activities, he added. He said upcoming projects along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will further boost cement consumption.
The industry has yet to realise its export potential due to the lack of support from the government. The loss of the Afghanistan market is a matter of concern for the industry, which has been marginalised there because of subsidised Iranian exports.
Competition Commission of India fines 11 cement companies US$1bn for alleged cartelisation
01 September 2016India: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a penalty of more than Rs67bn (US$1bn) on 11 cement companies for alleged cartelisation. The companies affected are UltraTech, Binani, Ramco, Jaiprakash Associates, JK Cement, Lafarge, India Cements, ACL, ACC, Century, and Shree Cement, besides the Indian Cement Manufacturers' Association (CMA). The order issued by the anti-trust regulator held the companies and the CMA responsible for 'acting in concert in fixing prices of cement.' The companies and the CMA allegedly shared details relating to prices, capacity utilisation, production and dispatch, which led to restricted production and supplies in the market hurting consumers and the Indian economy, the order said. Further, the CCI also found the cement companies to be acting in concert in fixing prices of cement. A final order has been passed by CCI, pursuant to the directions issued by the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) remanding the matter back, while setting aside the original order of the fair trade regulator, which had had also imposed fine on cement companies.
Penalties of US$171m on ACC, US$173m on ACL, US$24.9m on Binani, US$40.9m on Century, US$27.9m on India Cements, US$19.1m on JK Cement, US$73.1m on Lafarge, US$38.5m on Ramco, US$175.3m on UltraTech and US$197.5m on Jaiprakash Associates were imposed by CCI. In addition, a penalty of US$109,000 was slapped on the CMA.Penalising the companies, the CCI said the actions of the companies and the CMA are not only detrimental to the interests of consumers but also to the whole economy, as cement is a critical input in construction and infrastructure industry, and vital to economic development. Through a separate order, the regulator has slapped US$59.2m fine on Shree Cement for unfair businesses practices.
The CAT had, in late 2015, revoked CCI's order, imposing a combined penalty of US$943m on cement companies for allegedly forming a price cartel. The tribunal quashed the commission's order after observing that Ashok Chawla, then CCI chairperson, was party to the order, despite not being present during hearings. The tribunal also allowed the cement companies to withdraw the US$94m deposited by them in compliance of its interim order. The interim order, in May 2013, had stayed the penalty but asked the companies to deposit 10 per cent of its pending disposal of their appeal. In June 2012, the commission had fined ACC, Ambuja Cement, UltraTech Cement and Jaiprakash Associates a little over US$149m each for forming a cartel. The other companies fined included Madras Cements, Century Cement, Binani Cement, Lafarge India, JK Cement, India Cements and Grasim Cements (now merged with UltraTech). The CMA was also a party in this case and it was fined a token amount.
Competition watchdog CCI said interactions between the trade body and the cement companies were not confined to promoting the interest of the industry. "Such interactions have been found to have transgressed the limits in sharing of information and extended to discussions on cost, prices, production and capacities...," the CCI order said. The case was filed by Builders Association of India against the cement companies and CMA alleging collusion to fix prices.
ACC to expand Jamul and Sindri plants
30 August 2016India: ACC plans to expand its plants at Jamul in Chhattisgarh and Sindri in Jharkhand as part of a US$447m capital project intended to increase the company's production capacity by 5Mt/yr to 35Mt/yr. The project will also include building a ‘couple of new plants’ according to comments made by KN Rao, Director - Energy and Environment, to the Hindu newspaper. Following the upgrades the Jmaul cement plant will have a clinker capacity of 2.79Mt/yr and a cement grinding capacity of 1.1Mt/yr. The Sindri unit will have a grinding capacity of 1.35Mt/yr.
KCP Cement to expand Muktyala plant
30 August 2016India: KCP Cement is set to build a new production line at its Muktyala cement plant in Andhra Pradesh. The company intends to invest US$60m towards increasing the unit's production capacity to 3.52Mt/yr from 1.86Mt/yr. The upgrade will be completed by the end of 2017, according to the Hindu newspaper. Other planned works include spending US$7.4m towards building railway sidings for the plant.
India: Reliance Infrastructure has completed the sale of its 100% shareholding in Reliance Cement to Birla Corporation, part of MP Birla Group. The US$715m deal, valued at US$140/t of cement production capacity, was announced in February 2016. The transaction has now completed following the transfer of shares and receipt of sale consideration. Proceeds of the sale will be used by Reliance Infrastructure to pay off its debts.
Cement producers asked to reduce prices in Assam
22 August 2016India: Cement producers have been asked to reduce their prices in Assam following an intervention by the state’s chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The official held meetings with 25 companies following reports of 10% local price rises in the last three months. Sonowal asked the producers why their prices had risen so fast and affirmed his administration’s commitment to stabilising the prices of commodities, according to the Times of India.
Shree Cement orders 10 mills from Gebr. Pfeiffer
22 August 2016India: Shree Cement has ordered 10 mills from Gebr. Pfeiffer. This deal continues the cement producer’s expansion strategy across India through integrated cement and grinding plants.
Gebr. Pfeiffer will supply MVR 6000 R-6 raw mills with capacities of about 550t/hr and an installed drive power of 6700kW each for the cement plants. These installations will come equipped with MPS 2800 BK type coal mills, each featuring a 720kW drive and an integrated SLS BK classifier. MVR 6000 C-6 cement mills are planned to grind clinker and extenders in at these cement plants or at grinding plants. These types of mill are already in successful operation at various sites belonging to Shree Cement. The cement producer currently runs 24 Pfeiffer mills.
Planned grinding plants will use the MVR 6000 C-6 mill to alternatively produce 300t/hr of Ordinary Portland Cement at a product fineness of 3100cm²/g acc. to Blaine or 300t/hr of Portland Pozzolana Cement containing as much as 35% of fly ash at a product fineness of 3500cm²/g acc. to Blaine or 180t/hr of ground granulated blast-furnace slag at a product fineness of 4500cm²/g acc. to Blaine. Each of the mills will come equipped with a 6700kW drive.
Gebr. Pfeiffer SE will supply the core components of the mill and the gear units from Europe. Its Indian subsidiary, headquartered in Noida, Gebr. Pfeiffer (India), will provide the components such as the housings of the mills and classifiers, the steel foundation parts as well as the internal parts of the classifiers. In addition, the Indian subsidiary will design the plant layout and advise the customer on the equipment it will procure on its own.
India: JK Lakshmi Cement has received environment clearance to expand its limestone mine output in Sirohi, Rajasthan to 13Mt/yr from 8Mt/yr. The expansion will cost US$17.9m and the mined material will supply the cement producer’s Sirohi plant, according to the Press Trust of India.
Crushed limestone will be transported to the plant via a covered conveyor and no local transport infrastructure will be required for the proposed project. Water will be sourced from the West Banas dam. The company has a limestone mine lease area of 390.62 hectare. It is an opencast mine and the lease is valid up to 2030.
The mine expansion will subject to conditions, including acquiring any applicable clearances from the National Board for Wildlife and consent from the State Pollution Control Board. The company has also been asked to conduct hydro-geological study and to obtain the recommendations of Central Ground Water Authority.