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RHI Magnesita starts trading on London Stock Exchange 31 October 2017
UK: RHI Magnesita has started trading on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). It has been admitted to trading in the premium segment of the main market on the LSE. The start of trading on the exchange marks the completion of the merger process between RHI and Magnesita.
“After the successful combination, RHI Magnesita is now fully dedicated to the strategic repositioning as the global leader in the refractory industry. With our 14,000 employees, we can drive positive change in our industry and aim to offer our customers an even greater value proposition in the future,” said Herbert Cordt, chairman of the board of directors of RHI Magnesita,
Following the merger the new company leads the refractory industry. It holds 35 raw material and production plants and more than 70 sales offices around the world and its product portfolio comprises more than 120,000 individual refractory products. It also operates two main research and development centres in Leoben, Austria and Contagem, Brazil.
As part of the merger process the company has also unveiled a new brand and logo to represent its global presence, its innovation and its company mind-set. The new logo and the visual system based on it consist of a horizontal eight, the symbol of infinity, and the shapes of refractory bricks.
US: OGCI Climate Investments has made in an investment in Solidia Technologies to support the adoption of Solidia’s patented cement and concrete technology using CO2.
The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) is a chief executive officer (CEO) led initiative of 10 oil and gas companies that collaborate on action to lead the industry response to climate change. OGCI Climate Investments, its investment arm, supports the development, deployment and scale up of new technologies that are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“We believe that Solidia Technologies’ product and process can provide a step change in lowering the greenhouse gas and water footprint of the cement and concrete industry,” said OGCI Climate Investments CEO Pratima Rangarajan.
Solidia Cement is a non-hydraulic cement composed primarily of low-lime-containing calcium silicate phases, such as wollastonite and pseudowollastonite (CaO·SiO2) and rankinite (3CaO·2SiO2). The setting and hardening characteristics of Solidia Cement are derived from a reaction between CO2 and the calcium silicates. The company uses a patented process called reactive hydrothermal liquid phase densification (rHLPD) to do this. Solidia Cement is intended to be a sustainable replacement for Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). It uses the same manufacturing process, equipment and raw materials used by the cement industry while consuming less energy and generating less greenhouse gases.
Beumer promotes mobile bag tester for valve bags 31 October 2017
Germany: Beumer Group is promoting its new mobile bag tester. The testing device is intended to help users to determine the venting capacity of any type of valve bag, such as those used in the cement industry, including all paper and plastic layers, and glued areas. The determined parameters can be used to optimise the manufacture of bags or check conformity with specifications.
The bag tester is intended to give users with information on the filling behaviour of each bag that is useful for the manufacture of bags and filling technology, as well as for transport and logistics. The 14kg apparatus is housed in a stable hardtop case on wheels making it mobile.
A pressure-compensated flow control valve on the device constantly increases the volume flow rate until a steady pressure of 50mbar is reached. With this pressure, the user can read the current volume flow rate, which indicates the air permeability, from the flow-rate meter. A filling spout with inflatable sleeve seals the bag valve during the airflow measurements. The scope of supply includes an additional inflatable sleeve for valve widths of up to 200mm.
Portland Cement Association downgrades US consumption forecast due to weather and infrastructure budget 30 October 2017
US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has downgraded its forecast for cement consumption in 2017 and 2018 due to bad weather and lower anticipated budgets for the public construction sector. The association now expects cement consumption to rise by 2.6% in 2017 and 2.8% in 2018. It previously anticipated a 3.5% growth rate for both years in a statement made in May 2017.
“Once infrastructure and tax reform initiatives take hold and affect economic and construction activity, then we can expect growth in cement consumption to accelerate to higher levels,” said Ed Sullivan, PCA senior vice president and chief economist.
Sullivan noted the updated forecast assumes tax reform and a US$250bn national infrastructure program spearheaded by the Trump Administration and the House of Congress. However these initiatives are unlikely to begin until mid-2019. He added that the dual fiscal stimuli would accelerate GDP growth, construction spending and cement consumption. Lowering unemployment rates are also expected to add to inflationary pressures alongside these fiscal programs.
The PCA said that rising inflation would necessitate a stronger Federal Reserve reaction and is expected to result in a rapid and perhaps larger-than-expected increase in interest rates. This, in turn, could cause a slowdown in the construction industry leading to a potential decline in activity from the end of 2021.
Carthage Cement strike cancelled 30 October 2017
Tunisia: A planned strike by workers at Carthage Cement for late October to early November 2017 has been cancelled. The decision to call off the industrial action follows a meeting between Finance Minister Ridha Chalghoum and UGTT Secretary General, Noureddine Taboubi, according to African Manager. Further meetings between the management of the cement producer and the unions have been scheduled.