Global Cement News

Nigeria: The Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) has announced the appointment of Yusuf Binji as its new Managing Director, effective 1 September 2018.

Prior to this appointment, Binji was the Managing Director of Obu Cement Company, a subsidiary of BUA Cement in Okpella, Edo State, a position he has held since February 2017.

Speaking on the appointment, Abdul Samad Rabiu, the Chairman of CCNN Board of Directors, said that Binji’s appointment was part of a restructuring effort aimed at further positioning the company for better business performance.

Binji brings with him almost 30 years experience garnered from the African cement industry, having worked with HeidelbergCement Africa, CCNN and BUA Cement in various capacities.

Binji is a chemical engineering graduate from Ahmadinejad Bello University, Nigeria and also studied at the University College, London, UK. He is a fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Solar Energy Society of Nigeria and the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers. He is also a registered engineer with the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and an associate member of the UK’s Institution of Chemical Engineers.

US: Eagle Materials Inc. has announced that Michael Haack has been named as its new President in addition to his role as Chief Operating Officer (COO). The announcement was made by Dave Powers, Eagle’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). "Michael has been serving as our COO since 2014 and has distinguished himself across all of our lines of business,” said Powers. “This expansion of Michael's role reflects the company's significant growth in recent years and the opportunity to build our leadership capacity, as we extend Eagle's track-record as the benchmark operating performer in the industry."

Michael Haack added, "I am excited to take on this expanded responsibility, as we continue to pursue our well-established strategy of value creation and capitalise on the many opportunities we see ahead."

Prior to joining Eagle, Haack spent 17 years at Halliburton Energy Services, holding successively senior operating positions, culminating with the management of Global Operations for Sperry Drilling, a multi-billion dollar company in the drilling and evaluation division of Halliburton. Haack holds a Master of Science degree from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University, both in Industrial Engineering, as well as an MBA from Rice University.

Mexico: Elementia has said that it will install a new cement grinding plant in Yucatán. It will invest US$30m and will start at a capacity of 0.25Mt/yr. Commercial operation is expected within the first half of 2019.

UK: The Times has reported on preliminary tests at Lancaster University, Lancashire, UK, which indicate that adding nanoplatelets from carrots and/or sugar beets to concrete significantly enhances its strength.

Including nanoplatelets is reported to increase the concentration of calcium silicate hydrate, leading directly to stronger cement. The researcher reported that, when platelets are added, 40kg less cement is required to make a cubic metre of concrete with the same strength as a sample that does not contain nanoplatelets. This leads to lower CO₂ emissions.

The team added that nanoplatelets performed better than other additives, such as graphene. The concrete made also had a denser microstructure, which helps to prevent corrosion, extending concrete life.

Costa Rica: Mexico’s Cemex has introduced its Cemex Go platform to the Costa Rican market. The new platform will enable customers to place orders, make payments, manage invoices and track deliveries in one place online. The new platform is available for mobile phones, tablets and computers. It has already been launched in nine countries and has over 13,000 users worldwide.