Global Cement News

Germany: Italy’s Buzzi Unicem, though its German subsidiary Dyckerhoff, has signed a purchase agreement to acquire Portlandzementwerke Seibel & Söhne. The completion of the transfer of shares is subject to the clearance of the German Federal Cartel Authority and is expected within the next weeks. Portlandzementwerke Seibel & Söhne operates a cement plant in Erwitte, North Rhine-Westphalia. No value for the deal has been disclosed.

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement plans to raise the production of gypsum and limestone from its quarries. It intends to increase the size of its Halberstadt Gypsum Quarry to 200,000t/yr and build a new 800,000t/yr limestone quarry at Harbour Head, according to the Gleaner newspaper. Both quarries will be near to the cement producer’s plant at Rockfort in Kingston. The plan requires approval from the National Environment & Planning Agency.

Caribbean Cement says that the expansions to its quarrying operations are required to secure supply of these materials. It has not commented on the size of the investment required for the project. Its quarries are operated through a subsidiary, Jamaica Gypsum & Quarries.

Vietnam: 7.62Mt of cement was sold in Vietnam in February 2018, a year-on-year rise of 38%, according to the Vietnam Building Material Association. Of the sum, 5.02Mt were sold domestically, an 11% rise from a year earlier. This included 1.96Mt sold by Vietnam Cement Industry Corporation (VICEM). 2.60Mt of cement were exported, a 30% rise year-on-year.

In January and February 2018, Vietnam sold 18.6Mt of cement, 85% more than in the first two months of 2017. It exported 5.5Mt in the same period, a 121% rise year-on-year. In just two months, the country has produced 22.9% of its whole year target as local demand continues to be outpaced by supply. The country faces a glut of 25 - 36Mt/yr of cement by 2020 if current production and consumption trends continue unabated.

India: With a merger of LafargeHolcim subsidiaries ACC and Ambuja Cement on hold, the two companies have proposed entering into a Master Supply Agreement (MSA) with each other with the aims of increasing synergies, reducing operational costs and increasing the companies’ joint sustainability.

This agreement is for supply of cement, clinker, raw materials (including fuel, fly ash, slag, gypsum etc), spare parts and for providing toll grinding services at certain plants. This will be executed through purchase orders, subject to a pricing formula. This will enable each company to optimise the cost of servicing markets by using each other’s plant’s capabilities, maximise the utilisation of assets to generate additional sales for each company and make best use of their joint spare inventory.

Philippines: Ionic Cementworks Industries has received approval from the Philippines board of investment to set up a 2Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Pagbilao, Quezon Province, according to Inside International Industrials, which quoted a source close to the company. The cost of the plant is estimated to be in the region of US$230m and the plant expected to commence commercial operations in 2021.