Denmark: FLSmidth has completed its acquisition of IMP Automation Group following the approval by the competition authorities. The purchase was first announced in February 2019 when FLSmidth said it was adding the company as part to its portfolio of automated laboratory solutions for the mining industry. It said that the integration of IMP would enable FLSmidth to support the expanding market for automated laboratories, which has experienced recent growth due to a combination of high exploration activity and increased focus on productivity, automation and digitalisation.

"We also see great potential from the joining of our new colleagues to further enhance the development of our digital solutions for mining. For instance, data collected from online analysers and the laboratory can be used to optimise the entire flow sheet for mining operations. Using this data to augment our process optimisation initiatives is an exciting prospect," said Tina Knudsen, FLSmidth’s general manager for Sampling, Preparation and Analysis – Mining.

FLSmidth gains 130 IMP employees, including IMP's managing director, Boyne Hohenstein. The IMP business will be consolidated into FLSmidth from 1 June 2019 and the cost of the purchase will be paid out in the second quarter of 2019.

South Africa: The government has introduced a carbon tax of around US$8/t for carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO₂e) emissions. The carbon tax will initially only apply to scope 1 emitters in the first phase. The first phase will be from 1 June 2019 to 31 December 2022, and the second phase from 2023 to 2030. Large-scale tax-free emission allowances from 60 – 95% will be provided in the first phase. Industries such as cement or iron production will benefit from a basic threshold of 70%.

A review will be held before the second phase starts to measure progress. The treasury reinforced that the introduction of the carbon tax would not raise electricity prices due to tax breaks for renewable energy sources and credits for existing generation capacity.

Armenia/Iran: The Armenian parliament has approved a tariff of US$29/t on imported cement from Iran. A previous attempt to pass the bill was blocked in April 2019, according to the Armenpress News Agency. During the recent vote construction workers demonstrated outside the parliament building warning that prices could price as a result of the new duty.

US: Mississippi Lime has declared a force majeure event due to flooding by the Mississippi River caused by ‘significant’ precipitation in the central US. The flooding has impacted the lime producer’s distribution and supply capabilities. This is expected to cause delays in supplying products to customers and will incur additional costs that it will pass through as a surcharge. The company added that, despite this, the flooding has not affected production.

Flooding on the Mississippi River forced the closure of Mississippi Lime’s barge loading facilities in early May 2019 and an alternate barge loading facility later in the month. The company does not anticipate re-opening its facility until the flood waters recede to a safe level, possibly in late June 2019. In the meantime the closure of flood gates near the company’s Ste Genevieve, Missouri unit has forced the company to use an alternate rail route with reduced shipment capacity, additional transit time and higher cost for both inbound and outbound shipments. Mississippi Lime anticipates resuming rail shipments in late June 2019, depending on weather conditions.