Global Cement News

India: AA Energy has commissioned a 120t/day grinding plant at Wadsa, Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. The estimated cost of the project is US$8.88m. The cement produced will be used for captive consumption for AA Energy's asbestos sheet plant in Nagpur. AA Energy has also abandoned an expansion of its biomass power plant in the same location due to non-receipt of a No Objection Certificate from the Pollution Control Board.

Togo: China's Chengdu Design and Research Institute of Building Materials Industry (CDI) will transfer the maintenance responsibility of HeidelbergCement's 5000t/day clinker plant to the Togolese people, according to CDI's chairman. The plant is part of a US$250m cement production industrial complex. Delivered three months in advance, it was inaugurated on 6 March 2015 with a two-year period warrant.

"Over the two-year period, CDI will train the Togolese to conduct care and maintenance of the plant after the contract has ended," said CDI chairman of the board Jiao Feng. The plant is in Yoto, about 90km northeast of Lomé. "We must underline that twice as many Togolese than Chinese were used for the construction and the outcome is the endeavour of both parties," said Jiao.

India: Five new cement plants will be set up in Jaipur with an estimated investment of US$1.59bn. The mines department has issued a letter of intent (LOI) to the companies and submitted the application for approval from the Union government.

Three LOI have been given for blocks at Chittorgarh, while two are issued for the blocks in Jaisalmer. The proposals of all the five blocks have been sent to Geological Survey of India (GSI). After receiving approval from them, all companies will be allowed to start their plants.

"There are a total of four LOI that have been given, while one company has been given the old block after orders from the court. It is now up to the Union government to decide. Once permissions are granted, all of the companies can work at their identified places," said an official from the mines department.

According to the officials, nearly US$1.59bn will be invested in the plants, generating employment for more than 5000 people. The state government will receive royalty from the blocks leased for mining. Meanwhile, total production capacity of the new plants is likely to be nearly 3Mt/yr. "The investments will be US$1.44 - 1.59bn. The department will get US$5.59m per plant as royalty," added the official.

Iran: Iranian minister of industry, mine and trade Mohammad Reza Nemat-Zadeh said that of the 30 new cement plants being built by Iran, 20% have been completed.

Egypt: Italcementi plans to upgrade two of its cement plants in 2015 via its Suez Cement subsidiary, following the two plants that it upgraded in 2014, according to Italcementi managing director Bruno Carrè.

"We will invest US$52.4m/yr for four years," said Carrè. "We finished converting two plants two plants in the first year. Now we have another two plants to complete." Italcementi will not disclose any expectations about their investments in 2015, although it expects the market to grow. In January 2015, Carrè said that its 2014 revenues will exceed US$721m, some 20% higher than in 2013, with 2015 revenues projected to grow by 10 - 15%.

Carrè said that the expansion plans are targeting renewable energy in Egpt and the Gulf. He highlighted that 2015 will see the continuation of investments to convert the energy mix and to improve Italcementi's environmental impact to international standards.