Global Cement Newsletter

Issue: GCW377 / 31 October 2018

Headlines


The long expected move by a Chinese cement producer outside of East Asia took a step closer this week with the news that Taiwan Cement is negotiating with OYAK Cement over a joint venture in Turkey. Taiwan Cement says it is prepared to invest up to US$1.1bn in the subsidiary that will operate OYAK Cement’s business in Turkey. In its press release Taiwan Cement said, bluntly, that government peak production limits and market saturation in China had forced it to expand internationally.

This isn’t Taiwan Cement’s first flirtation with a Turkish cement producer. Back in June 2018 local press reported that it had signed a memorandum of understanding and a confidentiality clause with Sanko Holding about potential investment. However, the timing is curious this time because almost simultaneously Brazil’s InterCement announced that it was selling its operations in Portugal and Cape Verde to OYAK Cement. This sale alone deserves more attention given that it is the third by a Brazilian producer since September 2018 but that’s a discussion for another week. Back on OYAK Cement, whilst nothing is certain at this stage, a pledge of US$1.1bn from a foreign investor would certainly come in handy helping to raise the money at the Turkish company.

Whoever, if anybody, Taiwan Cement ends up pairing up with, the level of the investment suggests a multi-plant move. Indeed, the suggested OYAK Cement deal involves a 40% share in 13 integrated cement plants in Turkey with a production capacity of around 12Mt/yr or a 16% local market share. This isn’t far off the regular international price of US$200/t for integrated production capacity.

For a Chinese company to choose Turkey is resonant historically because it is towards the western end of the Silk Road. Marco Polo, for example, travelled from Venice to China via the territory of modern-day Turkey. The modern day version, the Belt and Road Initiative, seeks to evoke this trade route as China attempts to expand internationally.

Pertinent to the cement industry, both China and Turkey are both major exporters. Turkey is the bigger exporter by proportion of production, at 10% in 2017. Both countries were in the top five exporters to the US in 2017 with 2Mt from China and 1.4Mt from Turkey. The commonly accepted wisdom is that the Chinese industry faces major hurdles to exporting its overcapacity. Yet its production base is so large, 15 times larger than Turkey’s, that the little clinker and cement it has the infrastructure to export is still significant. It’s interesting that a major Chinese producer seeking to overcome structural and market obstacles to its expansion at home is targeting a major exporting nation. Typically, when a foreign cement producer buys local companies, one strategy is to use the new assets to ‘naturalise’ its clinker imports as ‘local’ product. Given Turkey’s already large export market this seems unlikely in this case.

The highly public nature of Taiwan Cement’s latest attempt to strike it lucky in Turkey smacks of bolstering investor confidence as much as closing the deal. Normally, this kind of thing gets announced once everything has been agreed, possibly bar the regulatory approval. Putting some money up front may make Taiwan Cement seem serious but OYAK Cement also stands to benefit from its acquisition of the former-Cimpor assets in Portugal and Cape Verde, since it gives it a toehold within the European Union (EU). This one could go either way.


Russia: Eurocement has appointed Sergey Lobov as the manager of its Voronezh subsidiary and Vadim Shablitsky as the general director of its Neviansky cement plant. Yaroslav Stoupa, Vice-President of Eurocement Group for production and technical development, introduced the new appointments at a visit to each plant.

Lobov graduated from the Belgorod State Technological Academy of Building Materials with a degree in mechanical engineering. He has been working in the cement industry for 17 years, of which 14 have has been based at the Oskolcement enterprise, where he has advanced from being an equipment repairman to a deputy general director and technical director. From 2015, he worked as the general director of Neviansky Cementnik.

Shablitsky graduated from Belgorod State University of Technology with a degree in chemical engineering and an engineering qualification. He has been working in the cement industry for over 14 years. At the Belgorodsky Cement he worked in various positions from assistant cement mill driver to plant general director, and then he was deputy general director for production at Mordovcement.


Austria: RHI Magnesita has appointed Jacqueline Knox as EVP General Legal Counsel & Company Secretary. She will join the company on 1 December 2018 and will be part of its executive management team.

Knox was previously General Counsel and Company Secretary at Ophir Energy, a Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) listed upstream oil and gas business with a large portfolio of assets across Africa and Asia, which she helped to take from a private company to a London listing. She holds a dual degree in law and international relations (BA/LLB) from the University of Queensland and is a dual British / Australian citizen.


China: China National Building Material’s (CNBM) revenue rose by 21.5% year-on-year to US$22.5bn in the first nine months of 2018 from US$18.5bn in the same period in 2017. Its net profit nearly doubled to US$1.7bn from US$956m.


Vietnam: China has become the largest importer of clinker and cement from Vietnam in the first nine months of 2018. It imported 6.56Mt with a value of US$235m, according to the Việt Nam News newspaper. The Philippines, Bangladesh and Taiwan were the next largest importers with 4.75Mt, 5.64Mt and 1.23Mt respectively.


India: Jindal Steel & Power (JSP) plans to build a 2Mt/yr slag cement plant at Angul in Odisha. The US$68m unit will use ground granulated blast furnace slag sourced from a nearby steel plant operated by JSP, according to the Business Standard newspaper. A recent expansion at the steel plant to 6Mt/yr has allowed it to support a cement plant of this size. Land for the project has been acquired and the company hopes to obtain it from the state government by early 2019.


Pakistan: Lucky Cement’s sales volumes have been supported by exports in its first quarter. Local sales dropped by 9.1% year-on-year to 0.14Mt in the period to the end of September 2018 but exports rose by 85.1% to 0.23Mt. Despite this, its revenue rose by 2% to US$121m from US$118m. However, its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 19.7% to US$25m from US$31m. It said that its cost of sales had increased by 7.3% due to increases in coal, packaging and other fuel prices.


Peru: Higher sales to the self-construction sector, medium-sized companies and the public sector have driven sales growth for Cementos Pacasmayo. Its sales grew by 3.1% year-on-year to US$274m in the first nine month of 2018 from US$266m in the same period in 2017. Its consolidated earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 5.1% to US$83m from US$79m.

Cement and clinker production grew by 2.4% to 1.69Mt and 14.7% to 1.30Mt respectively. The building materials producer also reported that quicklime production fell by 23.6% to 97,400t at its Pacasmayo plant due to reduced demand.


Ukraine: HeidelbergCement has signed a contract with Italy’s CTP Team to upgrade its Kryvyi Rih plant. The project includes replacing the existing filtering system and relevant dust handling for drying drum four. CTP Team will supply a new baghouse equipped with SWAP technology for the cleaning of bags with low-pressure compressed air. The new filter is intended to comply with new local environmental regulations. It will be designed specifically to fit with the existing electrostatic precipitator housing. No value for the deal has been disclosed.


Taiwan/Turkey: Taiwan Cement plans to spend up to US$1.1bn on setting up a new joint venture with Turkey’s OYAK Cement. Through a new subsidiary, Dutch TCC Holdings, it intends to create a new business that will be 60% owned by OYAK Cement and 40% by Taiwan Cement. It will hold talks with OYAK Cement and if an agreement is reached the new company will operate OYAK Cement’s business in Turkey giving Taiwan Cement its first presence outside of Asia.

OYAK Cement is owned by Ordu Yardimlasma Kurumu (OYAK), the pension fund of the Turkish Armed Forces. It operates 13 integrated cement plants in Turkey with a production capacity of around 12Mt/yr. It holds a 16% market share. The plans with Taiwan Cement follow OYAK Cement’s purchase of InterCement’s operations in Portugal and Cape Verde.

Taiwan Cement hopes to gain access to the local market and the wider Mediterranean region. It said that, although it holds a production capacity of 75Mt/yr in the Greater China Region, government peak production limits and market saturation had forced it to expand internationally.


India: India Cements has entered into a share purchase agreement to buy Springway Mining for around US$25m. It says it has made the purchase to build a new cement plant in Madhya Pradesh. The cement producer plans to build a 1.5Mt/yr grinding plant in East Nimar, according to the Hindu newspaper. Springway Mining operates a mining and quarrying business.


India: RCCPL, a subsidiary of Birla Corporation, has approved an expansion to its cement grinding plant at Kundanganj in Uttar Pradesh. A new 1.2Mt/yr third line at the unit will increase the plant’s total production capacity to 3.2Mt/yr, according to the Press Trust of India. The upgrade is expected to cost around US$34m and be completed by the end of the 2020 – 2021 financial year. The cement producer is building the new production line to meet demand in central India.


Philippines: The Philippine Constructors Association (PCA) has rejected any move to impose tariffs on cement imports, as this will only increase construction costs. The PCA said that imposition of safeguard measures would ‘adversely’ affect customers, according to the Philippines News Agency. In a position paper it has argued that cement imports counteract alleged price rises from cartel-like behaviour. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) started an investigation into cement imports in September 2018 amid reports of declining revenue from local producers.


China: Anhui Conch Cement’s revenue rose by 55% year-on-year to US$11.2bn in the first nine months of 2018 from US$7.19bn in the same period in 2017. Its net profit nearly doubled to US$3.06bn from US$1.47bn.


Malaysia: Gebr. Pfeiffer has registered a company in Malaysia. The German engineering company originally opened an office in the country in 2016 and it has now established a private limited company to further support its clients in Southeast Asia. The new company held its official opening in early August 2018 and it has seven members of staff.

Gebr. Pfeiffer Malaysia will offer presales, technical and service support from its office in Kuala Lumpur. Gebr. Pfeiffer Malaysia will also maintain one of four global spare parts centres offering shorter delivery times for critical spare and wear parts.


Brazil/Portugal/Cape Verde/Turkey: Brazil’s InterCement has sold its operations in Portugal and Cape Verde to Turkey’s OYAK Cement for an undisclosed amount. The sale includes three integrated cement plants and two mills, with a total cement production capacity of 9.1Mt/yr, 46 concrete units, two dry mortar units, 17 quarries and a cement bagging plant. The completion of the agreement is dependent on regulatory approval.

InterCement, part of Camargo Corrêa group, purchased a majority stake in Portugal’s Cimpor in 2012, including assets in Portugal and Cape Verde. It says it will allocate a portion of the net proceeds from the sale to reduce its debts. Following completion of the transaction the Brazilian building materials company intends to focus its cement business in South America and Africa. In these regions it holds 39Mt/yr of installed production capacity at 35 cement plants.


Laos: The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has ordered regional departments of industry and commerce to stop issuing import licences for cement and steel. Instead, imports of these products will be regulated by customs officials at border crossings, according to the Vientiane Times newspaper. The move is intended to improve the efficiency of business operations in the country as part of an on-going import and export plan to 2020.


Nigeria: Domestic sales volumes of cement by Dangote Cement grew by 11.7% year-on-year to 10.8Mt in the first nine months of 2018, from 9.6Mt in the same period in 2017. However, sales in Sub-Saharan Africa grew slightly to 7Mt due to lower sales in Tanzania, disruptions due to civil unrest in Ethiopia and a reduction in exports from Nigeria to Ghana. This was mitigated by growing sales volumes in Zambia. Sierra Leone and the start-up of operations in the Republic of Congo. The cement company’s revenue rose by 13.5% to US$1.89bn from US$1.66bn and its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 14.6% to US$928m from US$810m.

“Nigerian sales were affected by serious flooding in September 2018 and although Pan-African sales were flat, we will see soon increased sales from Tanzania, now that its gas turbines are installed, and from Ethiopia as local community issues are resolved. We have launched new products in Nigeria that we believe will help us improve our leadership position in Africa’s most exciting market for cement,” said Joe Makoju, Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO).


Mexico: Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua’s net sales rose by 11% year-on-year to US$667m in the first nine months of 2018 from US$610m in the same period in 2017. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 16.3% to US$199m from US$171m. It attributed the growth to building demand and rising prices in both the US and Mexico. Notable events in the third quarter of 2018 included: the operational integration of the Trident cement plant in Montana; completion of construction of the Rapid City, South Dakota plant expansion and start of the tie-in process; and reactivation of two idled kilns in Chihuahua to meet growing demand in the US and Mexico.


Mexico: Cruz Azul has launched the construction of a fifth production line at its Oaxaca cement plant in Lagunas. State governor Alejandro Murat Hinojosa presided over the ceremony. The new line has an investment of over US$130m and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2020. It will also be able to co-process alternative fuels up to a rate of 40%. Previously, Germany’s Loesche and France’s Fives sold grinding mills for the upgrade.


Canada: CEMSI, a subsidiary of Kontrol Energy, has received an order worth US$0.8m for an emissions analyser for an unnamed ‘global’ cement company. The product offers on-going regulatory compliance and process data to meet government requirements and reduce fuel and energy costs associated with production. The company said that it has withheld the name of the customer due to ‘industry competitive purposes.’

CEMSI, Is an integrator of turnkey continuous emissions and process monitoring equipment solutions, serving the Canadian and US market. Currently, up to 40% of CEMSI’s revenues are recurring under multi-year service agreements. It was acquired by Kontrol Energy in September 2018.

“This is a significant new order for the CEMSI operating team and adds to a growing vertical line of business in emissions compliance,” said Paul Ghezzi, chief executive officer (CEO) of Kontrol Energy.


Germany: Haver & Boecker has restructured its domestic sales division and all national activities into Haver & Boecker Deutschland. The new company started operation in July 2018 based at its headquarters in Oelde. Burkhard Reploh, formerly the head of the Building Materials and Minerals Division at Haver & Boecker, leads the subsidiary.

"The German customers are rather special. With their technical enthusiasm, these customers in particular inspire many of our innovations. Therefore we aim to further intensify our activities in Germany and as a result have founded a company which focuses exclusively on the requirements of our German customers,” said Florian Festge, managing partner of Haver & Boecker. He added that the restructuring is intended to strengthen the German market, which is the group’s largest single market, even considering its export share of 75%.

Haver & Boecker Deutschland represents the entire product and service range of Haver & Boecker and the technology brands of Haver & Boecker Niagara, IBAU Hamburg, Sommer, Feige Filling Behn, Behn + Bates and Newtec. This includes machines, systems and service products in the field of processing technology, silo technology, mixing, filling and packing technology as well as palletising and loading technology and automation in the cement, construction materials, chemicals, food and processing sectors.


China: Germany’s Refratechnik has signed a joint venture contract with Haicheng Guotian Mining and Yingkou Jinlong Refractories for the production of high-grade caustic calcined magnesia (CCM) and dead burned magnesia (DBM) at a new plant at Pailou near Haicheng in Liaoning. Yingkou Jinlong Refractories is a long-standing partner of Refratechnik in China and Haicheng Guotian Mining is an existing CCM and DBM producer in Haicheng with long-term secure access to magnesite ore.

Construction of the new plant has started and production at the site is scheduled to begin in 2019. The unit will manufacture 0.1Mt/yr of DBM and over 0.1Mt/yr of CCM. The joint venture is intended to secure supply for Refratechnik’s worldwide refractory production and to diversify and strengthen its international industrial minerals business.


Switzerland: LafargeHolcim’s net sales rose by 2.7% year-on-year to Euro18.bn in the first nine months of 2018 from Euro17.7bn in the same period in 2017. Sales volumes of cement rose by 1% to 165Mt from 164Mt. Its recurring earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 0.1% to Euro3.83bn.

“Despite headwinds from steep cost inflation, we delivered stronger net sales and our earnings grew even faster. I am very satisfied with our growth in volumes, our solid pricing and the impact of our cost and efficiency programs,” said chief executive officer (CEO) Jan Jenisch.

By region the group reported net sales and cement sales volume increases in most regions with particular growth in Europe and North America. However, cement sales volumes fell in Asia Pacific and net sales fell in Latin America. Net sales also fell particularly, by 9.2% to Euro2.03bn, in Middle East Africa.


Mexico: Sales growth in the US and Mexico has contributed to a strong third quarter for Cemex in 2018. Overall, its net sales rose by 7% year-on-year to US$10.9bn in the first nine months of 2017 from US$10.2bn in the same period in 2017. Cement sales volumes rose by 3% to 52.7Mt from 51.1Mt. However, despite the sales growth, operating earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) remained flat at US$1.96bn.

“These results were underpinned by healthy volume and pricing dynamics in our three core products in most of our portfolio. We are pleased with our operations in Mexico and the US, with strong growth in year-over-year volumes for our three core products and improved prices. In our Europe region, prices continued to improve with growth in ready-mix and aggregates volumes. In addition, in our Asia, Middle East and Africa region, we saw volumes and prices in the Philippines rising in the mid-single digits as well as a double-digit increase in cement prices in Egypt,” said Fernando A Gonzalez, chief executive officer (CEO) of Cemex.

Despite the strong markets in North America the building materials company reported a 3% drop in net sales in its South, Central America and Caribbean business area. A particular poor result was noted in Colombia. However, cement sales volumes picked up year-on-year in the third quarter of 2018 following elections.


Thailand: SCG’s building materials division growth has been driven by government spending. The cement producer said that demand for Ordinary Portland Cement grew by 7% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2018. Its revenue from sales grew by 4% year-on-year to US$4.14bn in the first nine months of 2018. However, its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 5% to US$481m.


India: HeidelbergCement India’s half-year results have benefitted from improved markets in building materials in central India including Uttar Pradesh. Its sales volumes of cement rose by 10.5% year-on-year to 2.39Mt in the six months to the end of September 2018 from 2.17Mt in the same period in 2017. Its revenue rose by 19.4% to US$138m from US$116m. Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 47% to US$32.1m from US$21.9m.

The subsidiary of Germany’s HeidelbergCement said that although fuel prices rose in the latest quarter this was offset by a waste heat recovery system. The company operates two integrated plants and one grinding plant with a cement production capacity of 5.4Mt/yr.


Nepal: Germany’s Gebr. Pfeiffer has received an order via KHD to supply an MPS 225 BK vertical mill to grind coal for Samrat Cement. The cement company is building a new integrated production line at a plant in the Dang region.

The mill, with a drive power of 370kW, will grind 35t/hr of coal to a product fineness of 15% R 90µm. At the same time, the coal, which may have a feed moisture of up to 10%, is dried in the mill. An SLS 1800 BK integrated classifier will separate the ground coal into fine product and coarse product, with the latter being returned to the grinding zone to be again. The classifier will also allow petroleum coke to be separated to fineness degrees of <1% R 90µm.

The order was received via Gebr. Pfeiffer’s subsidiary in India. It will supply the main equipment for the mill and associated equipment for the grinding plant.


Russia: Germany’s Aumund has held a technical seminar to mark the opening of its new office in St Petersburg. Previously, the conveying and bulk storage company operated an office in Moscow but it decided to relocate to be nearer to Russian design institutes and engineering companies based in St Petersburg. The official opening of the site was held in late August 2018.