Global Cement News

Peru: Cementos Pacasmayo’s sales have been boosted by infrastructure work, coastal El Niño reconstruction projects and private projects. Its cement, concrete and precast shipments rose by 10.6% year-on-year to 2.62Mt in 2019 from 2.34Mt in 2018. Its sales grew by 10.3% to US$410m from US$372m. Its consolidated earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 7.7% to US$118m from U$109m.

Saudi Arabia: Yamama Cement’s sales grew by 64% year-on-year to US$214m in 2019 from US$139m in 2018. Its net profit after zakat and tax was US$68.3 following a loss of US$13.8m.

Pakistan: Cherat Cement’s turnover grew by 35% to US$45.6m in the half year to 31 December 2019 from US$61.6m in the same period in 2018. However, its operating profit more than halved to US$2.4m from US$6.2m due to a 50% increase in its cost of sales.

Tunisia: Carthage Cement has obtained CE marking for its products to help it penetrate the European market. It plans to start a 0.15Mt cement export contract in March 2020.

Colombia: Finland’s Wärtsilä has signed a further four-year extension to its operation and maintenance (O&M) agreement with Cemex Colombia. The original agreement was started in 1998 and it has now been extended to the end of 2023. Cemex’s integrated Caracolito cement plant uses a 26MW power plant operating on five Wärtsilä 18-cylinder 34SG engines in V-configuration running on natural gas. Wärtsilä employs 15 personnel in the running of the power plant, all of whom were hired locally.