US: Mississippi Lime Company plans to ‘significantly’ increase enhanced hydrated lime capacities at its Weirton, West Virginia and Verona, Kentucky plants. It also manufactures hydrated lime products from its Ste Genevieve, Missouri, Vicksburg, Mississippi and Chester, South Carolina operations. The company produces high calcium quicklime, hydrated lime and calcium carbonate.

India: Two employees have died from a fall at the Birla Corporation’s cement plant at Maihar in Madhya Pradesh. The workers reportedly fell from an overhead platform, according to the Press Trust of India. Materials stacked on the platform also fell, burying the workers and other labourers. Piyush Tiwari, a mechanical engineer aged 35 years, and Prabhu Dayal Patel, a labourer aged 40 years, both died at the scene. The other labourers were unhurt. Local residents protested at the site following the accident setting fire to administrative buildings and two vehicles. Police are investigating the fatalities.

India: The Cement Manufacturers Association has forecast growth above 10% in the 2019 financial year to the end of March 2019. It is expecting growth to be supported by the government's increased spending on large-scale infrastructure projects and growing residential housing, according to the Press Trust of India. It follows growth of around 13% year-on-year in the first half of the year. If growth stays at above 10% in 2019 it will be the fastest increase since the industry slowed down in 2011. The association is also attempting to lobby the government to lower the 28% tax rate applicable under the General Service Tax.

Pakistan: GE says it has delivered a turnkey power grid to DG Khan Cement’s Hub plant in Baluchistan. The grid includes a 132/6.3kV gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), 40MVA power transformers and other related auxiliary equipment. The power solution also includes an extension at K-Electric’s Hub Chowki grid station with a 132kV AIS bay connecting it to the DG Khan Cement grid station. GE also supplied engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the 132/6.3kV grid station.

“As one of the largest cement producers in Pakistan, our aim is to create a facility for the future, not only to meet local demand but also to serve the international market. To support these efforts, we needed a field-proven stable and reliable grid solution and therefore after thorough evaluation we selected GE’s solutions. Given GE’s experience spanning across a wide range of industries and applications, we are pleased to work with the team on this critical project,” said Arif Bashir, Director (Tech & Ops) at DG Khan Cement.

DG Khan Cement officially opened the Hub plant in July 2018. The unit has a cement production capacity of 2.8Mt/yr.