Philippines: SCG Philippines Country Director Anuvat Chalermchai says he is unconcerned about the country’s new tariff on imported cement because the company’s imports are ‘very small.’ The subsidiary of the Thai conglomerate imports 0.2 – 0.3Mt/yr of cement, according to Business World. It operates seven companies in the Philippines: United Pulp and Paper Company, SCG Trading Philippines, Green Siam Resources, Green Alternative Technology Specialist, SCG Marketing Philippines and Mariwasa Siam Ceramics.

Qatar: Qatar National Cement Company (QNCC) is preparing to export clinker, grey cement and white cement. Following the completion of its 5000t/day Plant 5, the company is considering targeting countries like Yemen and Iraq, according to the Qatar Tribune. The cement producer has a production capacity of 16,000t/day. In 2018 it produced 2.9Mt of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Sulphate Resistant Portland Cement (SRC). It also intends to add new cement products to its portfolio in 2019.

Kenya: A government audit has recommended that the Mining Minister suspend the operating licences for Athi River Mining and the East African Portland Cement (EAPCC). The report to the Public Accounts Committee was in response to the companies not paying taxes, according to the Business Daily newspaper. Both cement producers have faced financial difficulties recently.

Ukraine: Germany’s HeidelbergCement is selling its assets according to sources quoted by Interfax-Ukraine. It is reportedly selling to local investment group Concorde Capital and the deal will be completed during March and April 2019. The building materials local subsidiary, HeidelbergCement Ukraine, has not commented on story. The company operates integrated plants at Kryvyi Rih and Amvrosiyivka and a slag grinding plant at Kamyanske. Its loss rose by 14.4% year-on-year to around Euro14m in 2017.

India: JK Lakshmi improved its fuel consumption to 702kCal/kg of clinker in the October – December 2018 quarter from 705kCal/kg of clinker in the same period in 2017. Its revenue rose by 3.5% year-on-year to US$380m in the nine months to 31 December 2018 from US$368m in the same period in 2017. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 8% to US$45.4m from US$49.4m. The company said that it had been ‘facing pressure’ from increased petcoke and diesel prices. It also said that a 20MW thermal power plant and its Orissa grinding plant project were on schedule and are expected to be commissioned by March 2019.

Algeria: El-Hamel Sidi Moussa group’s Timegten cement plant has made its first 2000t export to Niger. The Chinese-Algerian joint venture used the Freight Transport and Logistics Group (Logitrans) to make the delivery overland via the In-Guezzam border crossing, according to Radio Algeria. The 1.2Mt/yr plant plans to target other countries, including Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso.

The Euro156m plant was commissioned in 2017. It is being run under a seven-year cooperation agreement where the Chinese partners manage the unit until the local workforce is trained. The plant also manufactures oil well cement.

Bolivia: President Evo Morales plans to prioritise the use of local produced cement for the construction new roads. He made the comment on a tour of a new cement plant being built at Caracollo, Oruro, according to the Pagina Siete newspaper. A decree or law will be used to enforce local government to use Bolivian-produced cement.

Spain: The local council in Alcudia, Mallorca is considering a licence application for the construction of a 65,000t cement terminal at its port. The application follows the end of a public consultation period, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin newspaper. The unit plans to have a capacity of at least 65,000t for the four years of its operation and then it will rise to 90,000t. It will use a pneumatic conveying system to minimise dust pollution emissions.

The Balearic Ports Authority previously gave its authorisation to the project in 2018 but it has faced opposition from environmental protestors. Cemex announced in late 2018 that it intended to stop production at its Lloseta cement plant on the island.

Denmark: FLSmidth has acquired IMP Automation Group, a manufacturer of automated laboratory equipment for the mining industry with a presence in Australia and South Africa. The purchase covers over 130 IMP employees, including the managing director, Boyne Hohenstein. Links between the digital initiatives at both companies are intended to give end users better data on their mineral ores and assist in optimising the processing. The deal also includes a 50% share in a joint venture that IMP owns, providing observation and measurement products for automated labs.

"In FLSmidth we have found a partner with the right global sales network to take us to the next level. For years, we have combined profound laboratory process knowledge with automation skills and developed novel and innovative solutions. I am very excited that we now can reach a global audience with our offerings and solutions", said Hohenstein.

Germany: Claudius Peters’ revenue rose by 7.5% year-on-year to Euro103m in 2018 from Euro95.6m in 2017. Its orders in hand fell by 31% to Euro56.8m from Euro81.8m. The company said that it remained profitable despite low volumes, with only China exceeding expectations. It also reported that a number of major projects were delayed, mainly in Russia and one in Germany. Overall, company owner Langley Holdings said that despite falling revenue and profit, it had experienced a ‘satisfactory’ year following a record year in 2017.