Global Cement News

US: Companies comprising the informal Port of Alaska Users Group at Anchorage have requested that the local government delay plans for a US$220m petroleum and cement import terminal. The group, that includes fuel companies, are concerned that the project will incur tariffs that could damage their businesses, according to the Alaska Journal of Commerce newspaper. Costs for the proposed marine terminal have become uncertain due to damage caused to the site by an earthquake in late 2018. The group is made up of eight companies including Alaska Basic Industries, a cement distributor.

Cuba: The Ministry of Finance and Prices has published a list of prices for a range of products, including cement, that are sold in state-run stores and agricultural markets. The ministry says that the initiative is intended to evaluate the local market at the municipal level in response to concerns about inflation following a government-mandated salary increases, according to 14ymedio. Shops that violate the regulated price lists may face sanctions.

India: Chettinad Cement’s Karikkali plant in Tamil Nadu has been issued a show cause notice by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for exceeding particulate matter emissions by more than three times the limit. An inspection following Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) data found emissions of 91.2mg/Nm³, according to the New Indian Express. The limit is 30mg/Nm³. The CPCB also found discrepancies with the OCEMS data due to poor instrument calibration.

Rwanda: The Rwandan government has extended the sale of its stake in Cimerwa to 19 July 2019 to give potential investors more time. The initial deadline was 5 July 2019, according to the New Times newspaper. The government and its related shareholders own a 49% stake in the cement producer. The controlling share in the company is owned by South Africa’s PPC.

Azerbaijan: Data from the State Statistics Committee shows that cement production in Azerbaijan dropped by 5.2% year-on-year to 1.6Mt in the first half of 2019. This has been blamed on a poor market, according to the Turan Information Agency. Despite this, concrete mix sales increased by 20.5% to 0.78Mt.