Global Cement News

Zimbabwe: PPC Zimbabwe has received US$11.2m from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe as part of a legacy debts repayment scheme. The debt accrued due toregulations blocking the repatriation of revenue outside the country due to foreign exchange shortages, according to the New Zimbabwe newspaper. The debts were assumed by the central bank between 2016 and early 2019. At the time PPC Zimbabwe was left with a legacy debt of US$21m to its parent company PPC in South Africa. PPC expects the remainder of the debt to be repaid by the end of 2022.

Tanzania: The High Court of Tanzania has ordered G4S Secure Solution to pay Dangote Industries Tanzania US$0.33m for theft and loss of property. In 2018 the security company attempted to sue the subsidiary of Nigeria-based Dangote Cement was for failing to pay for its services, according to the East African newspaper. However, Dangote Cement raised a counterclaim in response due to multiple thefts that it blamed on poor security services.

France/Syria: The Court of Cassation, a court of last resort, has delayed its ruling on the conduct of Lafarge in Syria between 2011 and 2014 until September 2021. It was due to make a decision on a number of appeals related to the case including whether charges of charge of crimes against humanity should be upheld, according to the Agence France Presse. Other indictments include those of financing terrorism, endangering life and violating an embargo. Lafarge has been accused of financing terrorism through indirect payments to extremist groups to keep its Jalabiya cement plant operational after the outbreak of war in Syria.

Lafarge Cement Syria was a subsidiary of Lafarge in the early 2010s. Lafarge and Holcim merged in 2015 becoming LafargeHolcim. LafargeHolcim’s shareholders later voted to change the company’s name to Holcim in May 2021.

Vietnam: The Ministry of Finance has proposed increasing the export tariff for clinker to 10% from 5%. The ministry said that exports of cement and clinker were not sustainable as they use non-renewable resources, according to the Viet Nam News newspaper. It added that cement producers also benefit from low electricity prices. Customs data shows that the country exported nearly 33Mt of cement and clinker in 2020. 22Mt or 73% of this total consisted of clinker.

South Korea: Hanil Hyundai Cement has placed an order with Japan-based Kawasaki Heavy Industries for the design and installation of a 22.6MW waste heat recovery (WHR) unit at its Yeongwol cement plant in Gangwon. The WHR plant will generate power from heat from two of the plant’s production lines when commissioned in December 2022. The supplier says that it will serve 30% of the plant’s energy needs. Kawasaki Heavy Industries says it has previously supplied WHR units to Japan, Germany, South Korea, Turkey, China, Vietnam, India, Pakistan and elsewhere.