Global Cement News

Kazakhstan: Gezhouba Cement Group Co Ltd plans to construct a cement plant in Shiyeli, Kyzylorda with partner Corporation Dan Ake to form the joint venture, Gezhouba - Shiyeli Cement. Construction of the 1Mt/yr cement plant will begin in February 2016 and create 400 new jobs.

Gezhouba Cement said that the region has created favourable conditions for investors and the implementation of joint projects. "Gezhouba Cement is known not only in China but also abroad. It is included in the list of the best companies for the production of cement. On 23 December 2014 an agreement for the implementation of joint projects in Kyzylorda was signed. We are grateful to the CEO of Corporation Dan Ake, Daulet Turlykhanov, for having helped to attract investors. In addition, our side will create all the conditions for the realisation of the project," said region Governor, K Kusherbayev.

Philippines: Cement sales grew by nearly a fifth, or 18.6%, in the third quarter of 2015 on the back of increased consumer spending, according to the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP).

CeMAP president Ernesto Ordoñez said that the country's total cement sales reached 6.4Mt in the third quarter of 2015, from 5.4Mt in the same period of 2014. The growth was attributed to the expansion of several infrastructure projects in both the public and private sectors, as well as the increased budget of the government for infrastructure projects. "The weather was also better this year compared last year, so that was also a factor," said Ordoñez, who also identified the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit as a sales driver. He is optimistic that cement sales will continue their upward trajectory for the rest of 2015.

India: Prism Cement's standalone net loss widened to US$5.08m for the second quarter of its 2016 fiscal year, which ended on 30 September 2015, compared to a net loss of US$3.02m in the same period of 2014. During the period, its net sales grew by 4.56% to US$213m. Prism Cement sold 1.35Mt of cement and clinker compared to 1.29Mt during the same quarter of its 2015 fiscal year.

Prism Cement said that the short term scenario remains 'challenging,' however, government initiatives such as housing, 'smart cities' and the push to infrastructure aided by a stable inflation and rate cut bodes well for the medium and long term economic outlook.

Russia: Sibirsky Cement's cement plants produced about 3.15Mt of cement in the first nine months of 2015, down by 10% year-on-year. The Topki Cement plant produced 2.27Mt of products, a 6% year-on-year fall, Kransoyarsk Cement produced 621,100t, down 14% year-on-year, while Timlyui Cement made 261,900t, a 28% decline.

France: Vicat's sales in the first nine months of 2015 grew by 1.9% year-on-year to Euro1.88bn. In the third quarter of 2015, its sales grew by 1.7% to Euro640m on a reported basis and declined by 3.7% at constant scope and exchange rates. Vicat reported robust business trends in the US, activity growth in Asia underpinned by Turkey and India, a reduced down-trend in France and lower activity in West Africa and the Middle East.

"Vicat's third-quarter performance still reflects a contrasting picture from one region to another, but there were signs of improvement in certain markets," said Vicat's Chairman and CEO. "Strong increases were recorded in the US and Turkey, while volumes in India returned to growth in a still favourable pricing environment, and, lastly, our production unit in Kazakhstan ran at full capacity in a market nevertheless affected by a strong currency devaluation. In France, the shortfall compared with 2014 declined significantly in the cement business over the past quarter and the market currently appears to be gradually stabilising at an historically low level for French cement consumption. Against this backdrop, Vicat remains focused on its objectives of maximising its cash flow and reducing its debt, while leveraging the efficiency of its manufacturing facilities, its geographical diversification and its strong positions in its local markets."