Global Cement News

India: JK Cement is awaiting environmental clearance to commence construction of a 2.0Mt/yr grinding plant at Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh. The project has been valued at US$37.5m. Domex has reported that FLSmidth is in the process supplying machinery to the facility, for which civil work has been completed. Its 2.0Mt/yr Ordinary Portland and Portland Pozzolana Cement production capacity will bring JK Cement’s installed capacity to 12.9Mt/yr. It already grinds 3.0Mt/yr of clinker at its Mudhol grinding plant near Bagalkot in Karnataka.

France: Vicat has sold Euro2.06bn-worth of cement in the nine months to 30 September 2019, up by 5.7% year-on-year from Euro1.95bn in the corresponding period of 2018. Its cement section’s sales lagged behind concrete and aggregates, with a rise of 4.5% to Euro991m from Euro948m in the nine months to 30 September 2018. “The Group’s strategy of raising prices is paying off in almost all operating regions, while energy costs fell,” said Vicat Group Chairman and CEO Guy Sidos. He expects exchange rate gains to pay dividends in the final quarter, notably in Turkey.

UK: A fire broke out at Cemex’s 1.8Mt/yr integrated Rugby plant at 02:00 on 6 November 2019. BBC News has reported that operations were unaffected and none of the plant’s 180 employees injured by the fire, which was caused by a mechanical malfunction in a machine belt conveying raw materials. The fire spread over three floors of the plant’s preheater tower.

Thailand: Siam Cement Group (SCG) has announced its involvement in the establishment of an innovation hub at the National Science and Development Agency in Pathum Thai. The Bangkok Post has reported that the development will cost US$14.3m. SCG’s partner for the project is the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a 100-site, 70,000-member body established under the Chinese Government’s Belt and Road foreign investment Initiative. When operational, it will market new products, initially consisting of petrochemicals, energy storage and batteries and smart cities.

High-value-added products and services made up 39% of SCG’s total sales in 2018 of US$15.7bn (US$6.11). It spent US$0.15bn on research and innovation over the period, around 1.0% of total revenue.

Nigeria: Abia Cement, Russian-based Drobmash and Energomotor and Czech-based PSP Engineering signed a memorandum of understanding for construction of a 2.0Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Abia province at the first Russia-Africa Summit on 2 November 2019. The latter companies will supply equipment to the development, while Abia cement will receive an export loan from Russia’s Roseximbank.