Global Cement News

UK: Carbon8 Systems has appointed David Clemmitt as Chief Engineer. He will be responsible for leading the engineering direction and execution of Carbon8 Systems’ Advanced Carbonation Technology (ACT) across global markets. As part of the role, he will have ownership of growing and developing the engineering function of the company in the carbon capture and utilisation sector. Clemmitt will join the board of Carbon8 Systems and will work closely with Paula Carey, the co-founder and Chief Technical Officer of the company.

Clemmitt joins the company from Baker Hughes, a global energy technology company, where he was Global Engineering Leader of their UK business from 2017. Prior to this, he held senior engineering roles at Meggitt, Schlumberger and Spirax Sarco Engineering. Clemmitt is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a member of the UK Engineering Council.

China: Ma Mingliang, the chairman and president of Sinoma Energy Conservation, has died at the age of 57. He was reportedly taken ill whilst on a business trip to Zhaotong City in Yunnan Province. Ma Mingliang was a trained engineer who worked for China Triumph International Engineering from 1997 to 2006 before later becoming the chief engineer of the foreign department of China National Building Material (CNBM) International Engineering from 2006 to 2007. Subsequently he held a number of senior positions within CNBM group eventually leading Sinoma Energy Conservation, the subsidiary of CNBM responsible for manufacturing waste heat recovery (WHR) systems.

Indonesia: China-based China National Building Material (CNBM) International Engineering has commissioned a 2.1Mt/yr cement plant at Grobogan, Semarang, in Central Java for GITI Group. The 6000t/day project was ignited and started production in mid-November 2021. Work on the US$350m project originally started in late 2017. GITI Group is a conglomerate based in Singapore principally known for tire manufacture.

South Africa: PPC’s revenue grew by 20% year-on-year to US$324m in the first half of its financial year to 30 September 2021 from US$269m in the same period in 2020. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 13% to US$59.6m from US$52.9m. The group reported that cement sales volumes rose by 12 – 15% in South Africa and Botswana due to strong retail demand. It also described new procurement measures supporting locally produced cement for government-funded project as “an essential first step in ensuring the economic sustainability of the South African cement industry.” It noted cement sales volumes growth of 19% in Zimbabwe despite local economic problems, but earnings declined due to additional costs incurred in importing clinker and an unplanned kiln shutdown. In Rwanda the group noted flat sales volumes and falling earnings due to a coronavirus-related lockdown.

France/US: Vicat Group has signed a Euro250m financing agreement taking the form of a private placement with US investors. The first tranche of the agreement covers Euro100m, with a maturity of 10 years, at a fixed rate of 1.27%. The second tranche is for Euro150m, with a maturity of 15 years, at a fixed rate of 1.57%. The group says it will use the funding to strengthen the liquidity of its balance sheet, extend the overall maturity of its debt and reduce its average debt ratio.