Global Cement News

Peru: Cemento Inka is planning to build a 0.6Mt/yr cement grinding plant in Pisco. The US$25m project is scheduled to be completed by late 2019 or early 2010, according to the Gestión newspaper. The board of the build materials producer plans to make a decision on building the unit by the end of 2018.

Portugal: France’s Chryso has acquired Euromodal. The company was set up in 1986 and manufactures a range of construction chemicals from a plant located near Porto. It also offers services ranging from technical support, the formulation of mix designs and on-site support. Francisco Araujo, CEO of Euromodal, will become the general manager of Chryso in Portugal. No value for the transaction has been disclosed.

“We are delighted to integrate Euromodal into our group and look forward to working with the talented people who will become part of the Chryso business,” said Thierry Bernard, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Chryso.
“The local production, the world-class local concrete laboratory and strong technical service will benefit our customers. After our recent acquisitions in Italy and in Ireland, this move demonstrates our willingness to enhance our positions in geographies where customers see benefits in value-added solutions and differentiated offerings.”

India: The Calcutta High Court has rejected a plea for an injunction by the owners of MP Birla Group into part of the acquisition process of Century Textiles and Industries by UltraTech Cement. The Lodha family holds a significant stake in Pilani Investment and Industries Corporation, which, in turn, owns a stake in Century Textiles and Industries, according to the Daily News and Analysis newspaper. It had argued that the demerger process as part of the sale of Century Textiles and Industries would seriously affect the remaining parts of its business. UltraTech Cement received approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for the acquisition of the cement business of Century Textiles and Industries in late August 2018.

Bolivia: The head of Sociedad Accidental Imasa Polysius, a joint-venture created by Polysius and Imasa, Zubim Andrade, says that a cement plant that company is building in Potosí is more than 45% complete. The half-way mark is expected to be met by the end of October 2018, according to the El Potosí newspaper. Over 900 people are working on the project and most of the equipment for the unit has arrived. The 1.3Mt/yr cement plant has a cost of around US$240m.

Iran: The price of cement packaging for 50kg cement bags has risen by 117% since late 2017. Mohammad Ali Bod, a member of Iranian Cement Industry Employers Association, warned that some cement plants in the country would have to stop operating if the situation was not resolved, according to the Trend News Agency.