Global Cement News

Uganda: Hima Cement has agreed to return land it acquired in the Mwello Parish of Tororo District to the local residents due to mistakes made by its land agent. The company’s agent, Optima Mining and Minerals, allegedly purchased land from residents who did not hold the necessary paperwork, according to the Daily Monitor newspaper. The agent then intended to apply for a lease on the land from Tororo District Land Board.

Dunstan Ndyaguma, Optima’s managing director, was advised by the commission to obtain a lawyer to learn about the land tenure system in the district. He was also described as a ‘dangerous’ man because he had manipulated local residents in his dealings with them.

Hima Cement, a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim, wants to build a US$250m new cement plant in the area. It has warned that the project may be moved to Kenya instead due to the difficulties in obtaining land.

China: Tianrui Cement has entered into a clinker supply deal with Ruiping Shilong. It will buy clinker from Ruiping Shilong from 1 April 2019 until 31 December 2021. The price and quantity will be set following negotiations, although a cap of around US$74m/yr has been set. Tianrui Cement’s chairman and his wife hold a significant minority share in Ruiping Shilonga.

Azerbaijan: Holcim Azerbaijan has launched Unkial, a cement product offering water resistant properties in the concrete it makes. The product is being targeted for general usage, according to the Turan Information Agency. Production of the new product will meet local demand.

Pakistan: Cement despatches fell by 9% year-on-year to 34.6Mt in the nine months to the end of March 2019 from 34.8Mt in the same period to March 2018. Data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) shows that despatches and exports fell in both the north of the country but that despatches fell and exports rose in the south. Exports more than doubled in the south to 3.14Mt. This was due to a reported start in seabourne clinker sales in the 2018 – 2019 year. Otherwise, overall cement exports to Afghanistan and India declined.

Uganda: Nicolas George, the managing director of Hima Cement, has warned that a US$250m new cement plant project may be relocated to Kenya due to difficulties in obtaining land in Uganda. He made the comments to the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters following complaints by local residents about the land purchase process, according to the Daily Monitor newspaper. The cement producer is trying to buy mineral rights in the Mwello Parish in Tororo District. Previously, it attempted to build a plant in Moroto.

George also alleged that the subsidiary of LafargeHolcim had repeatedly run up against ‘speculators with exploration licences’ with links to the Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines. He asked the government to cancel such licences within two years if the owners lacked the in financial resources to develop them.