Global Cement News

Oman: Raysut Cement Company has signed an agreement to buy Sohar Cement for US$60m. The transfer of ownership for all the shares in the company was completed in mid-May 2019, according to the Oman Daily Observer newspaper. Sohar Cement held a 70% stake in a 1.7Mt/yr grinding plant and UAE-based Fujairah Cement Company owned the rest of the shares.

Kyrgyzstan/Uzbekistan: Azamat Arapbaev, a member of the Kyrgz parliament, says that Uzbekistan has blocked exports of cement from Kyrgyzstan. The block started in mid-May 2019, according to the Central Asia News Service. Economy Minister Oleg Pankratov said that talks have been held with the ambassador of Uzbekistan over the matter. Cement plants in the south of Kyrgyzstan are dependent on the export market.

India: JSW Cement plans to double its cement production capacity in the eastern region to 8Mt/yr by 2023 – 24. It currently operates a 2.4Mt/yr plant at Salboni in West Bengal and a 1.5Mt/yr plant at Odhisa, according to the Press Trust of India. It intends to meet the target with a combination of upgrades and new units. It also plans to commission a new captive power plant at Salboni by July 2019.

India: Haver Ibau India has been renamed as Haver & Boecker India since April 2019. The subsidiary of Germany’s Haver & Boecker and its subsidiary Ibau started in 2008. The change in name reflects a broader industry base for the Indian subsidiary to continue to include the cement industry as well as customers from building materials, chemicals and food.

Italy: Martin Engineering has launched its successful ‘Mr Blade’ conveyor belt optimisation program in Italy's construction materials sector. The service is a direct-to-site service to maintain and replace belt-cleaner blades that has previously been implemented in the US and the UK. Martin Engineering offers a range of conveyor belt solutions in Italy for industries like energy and steel. The ‘Mr Blade’ program extends this offering to smaller sites – such as quarries, concrete and asphalt plants. Martin Engineering expects to launch its ‘Mr Blade’ service in other European countries later in 2019.