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Western Diamond Cement opens in Takoradi, Ghana 09 November 2015
Ghana: Western Diamond Cement Limited (WDCL) has launched its product in Takoradi under the brand name 'Diamond Cement.' The company, which has the first vertical cement mill in Ghana, will produce 42.5 rapid and 32.5 rapid cements. It has 6500t of clinker storage.
Buddarajo Roju, Manager of Quality Control at Western Diamond Cement Limited, said that Ghana is a vibrant economy and that there is rapid growth in the whole of West Africa, especially infrastructural development. He said that the company is committed to implementing the Environmental Impact Statement to the Environmental Protection Agency and mitigation measures on dust generation, noise impact, as well as liquid and solid waste.
Tarai turmoil forces Udayapur Cement Industries to down its shutters 09 November 2015
Nepal: Udayapur Cement Industries (UCI) has had to pull its shutters down due to the disruption in vehicle movement caused by ongoing strikes.
UCI's General Manager Surendra Poudel said that the plant incurred a US$3.01m loss after it was unable to operate due to lack of raw materials. Cement production came to a halt after raw materials could not be supplied due to the protracted strikes in the plains for the last three months. Poudel said UCI was only able to produce 70% of its installed cement capacity in the last two months. Reportedly, it needs 100t/day of coal and 2000L/day of diesel. However, the required raw materials could not be supplied from India due to the blockade at the border points and general strike.
"It had become impossible to even manage the daily administrative expenses," said Poudel. The plant's total expenditure is around US$4.52m/month, including US$301,339 for salaries and US$90,428 for electricity and other expenses. Poudel said they would not be able to pay the salaries and electricity bills if the crisis persisted for one more month.
Sumitomo Osaka Cement reports 84.8% net profit rise 09 November 2015
Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement's operating profit rose by 14% year-on-year to US$83m in the April – September 2015 period, according to Reuters. Its sales rose by 3.7% to US$937m and its net profit rose by 84.8% to US$62.4m.
The Ramco Cements’ profit surges 55% on cost control 09 November 2015
India: The Ramco Cements has reported a 55% jump in net profit for the second quarter of its 2016 fiscal year on the strength of performance efficiency and cost control.
The company has reported a net profit of US$20.9m, up from a US$13.5m profit in the same period of its 2015 fiscal year. Its total revenue fell to US$135m from US$144m in the same quarter of its 2015 fiscal year. Cement sales during the quarter fell to 1.71Mt from 1.94Mt.
CEO of The Ramco Cements AV Dharmakrishnan said that the investments in company infrastructure to strengthen its systems and processes, focus on cost control and debt reduction have contributed to the jump in net profit. These benefits will continue to accrue in the coming quarters.
Lafarge Vietnam and Holcim Vietnam merge 09 November 2015
Vietnam: Lafarge Vietnam Company has become a unit of Holcim Vietnam Company following the merger between their parent companies.
The merger between Lafarge Vietnam and Holcim Vietnam, which is scheduled for completion in 2015, will help LafargeHolcim optimise its production in the context of oversupply, which has put local cement producers in difficulties, a Holcim Vietnam official has said.
In Vietnam, LafargeHolcim has five cement plants and eight ready-mixed concrete batching plants, with a capacity of 5.2Mt/yr of cement and 1Mm3/yr of concrete. LafargeHolcim will retain its brands of Lafarge and Holcim's products such as Lavilla (Lafarge) and Holcim Power-S (Holcim), according to Nguyen Cong Minh Bao, Head of Holcim Vietnam's Sustainable Development.
Holcim Vietnam presently holds a 26% market share in Vietnam while Lafarge Vietnam takes a 12% share, with their main products being cement, concrete and aggregate.