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Philippines: Seasia Nectar Port Services has started commercial operations at Mariveles Dry Bulk Terminal in Bataan. Seasia chairman Ramon Atayde said the new facility would optimise the operations of dry bulk handling, according to the Manila Standard. The terminal is intended to handle shipments of clinker, coal, silica sand, other raw materials for cement and other dry bulk cargoes.
The company started the development of the 11.4 hectare port in 2015, including the development of a 5.9 hectare port facility with a 247m quay equipped with a 13.5m draft under the first phase. The initial phase of the project will accommodate two vessels of 120m or one supramax/panama vessel. It is designed to handle at least 3Mt/yr. The second and third phases will expand the dry bulk terminal to accommodate another two vessels or one supramax/panama vessel. Seasia is a joint venture company between Seasia Logistic Philippines and Nectar Group.
India: Ambuja Cement has completed a 0.9Mt/yr capacity upgrade at its Sankrail grinding plant in West Bengal. The US$50m upgrade was commissioned on 24 May 2016. The cement grinding plant has increased its production capacity to 2.4Mt/yr from 1.5Mt/yr. The upgrade was originally announced in late 2012.
Lafarge Africa appoints Michel Puchercos as managing director
Written by Global Cement staff
25 May 2016
Nigeria: Lafarge Africa has appointed Michel Puchercos as its new group Managing Director and chief executive officer. He assumed his post on 1 April 2016. He replaces Peter Hoddinott.
Puchercos, a French national, started his career in 1982 at the French Ministry of Agriculture before working at other companies in the biochemistry and food industry. He joined Lafarge as Head, Strategy and Purchasing in Orsan, Lafarge Biochemistry, and in 1998 became Director of Cement Strategy and Information Systems, Lafarge Gypsum. Puchercos became the Director of Cement strategy, Lafarge Group in France in 2003 before becoming the CEO for Lafarge operations in Kenya and Uganda in 2005. He then became the CEO of Lafarge South Korea in 2009.
Puchercos is a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique, and the National School of Rural Engineering, Waterways & Forests, France.
LafargeHolcim announces staff appointments in Switzerland and Algeria
Written by Global Cement staff
25 May 2016
Switzerland: LafargeHolcim has appointed Caroline Luscombe as the group’s new Head of Organisation and Human Resources and member of the Executive Committee. Her role starts from 1 July 2016 and she will be based in Zurich. She succeeds Jean-Jacques Gauthier.
Luscombe joins LafargeHolcim from Syngenta where she has been Head of Human Resources since January 2010 and a member of the Executive Committee since 2012. Prior to joining Syngenta, Luscombe held senior human resource roles in the financial and healthcare businesses of the GE Group, and in the speciality chemical company, Laporte.
Having led the human resource integration between Lafarge and Holcim, Jean-Jacques Gauthier will be appointed as the Country Chief Executive Officer in Algeria from 1 September 2016. On taking up his new role, Jean-Jacques will relinquish his position on the Executive Committee.
Lafarge Malaysia’s profit plunges 72% 24 May 2016
Malaysia: Lafarge Malaysia, part of LafargeHolcim, saw its net profit fall by nearly 72% to US$5m in the first quarter of 2016, from US$17.9m in the same period a year earlier. It reported lower contributions from its cement segment, following prolonged price competition. The one-off costs of integrating Holcim Malaysia within the company also affected earnings. Lafarge Malaysia’s quarterly revenue slipped by 3.8% to US$162m from US$168.8m in the first quarter of 2015.