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11 detained after alternative fuel protest turns violent 16 October 2015
China: Eleven people have been detained in Yangchun, south China's Guangdong Province, after demonstrations against a project to build a waste incinerator adjacent to a cement plant turned violent.
Protesters said the demonstrations drew hundreds of people agitated over the risk of pollution from the project."How will we survive breathing in noxious smoke?" said one of the protestors.
Tension persisted for two days, with protesters saying that hundreds of people had been gathering near the gates of the cement plant.
Italcementi and trade unions renew talks 16 October 2015
Italy: Italian cement maker Italcementi and Italian trade unions are looking for a solution for the temporary lay-off scheme that will expire in January 2016.
At a meeting on 15 October 2015, the parties determined that it is not possible to extend the current temporary lay-off scheme and consequently they are studying alternatives that would allow wider coverage compared to the initial programmes.
In a statement the trade unions explain that one of the hypotheses could entail the use of the scheme for total cessation of the activities at the plants in Monselice and Scafa, already suspended for years, as well as the partial cessation for the plants in Castrovillari, Sarche di Calavino and Salerno that could be concluded in January 2017.
Besides, a temporary lay-off scheme may be decided for the remaining group's employees that could last until September 2017. The parties will meet again on 2 November 2015.
Oman Cement posts 4% revenue increase 15 October 2015
Oman: Oman Cement's revenue increased by 4% year-on-year to US$31.6m for the third quarter of 2015. On a quarter-by-quarter basis, its revenue grew by 12.4%. Oman Cement's net profit was US$4.02m compared to US$6.03m in the third quarter of 2014.
Tanzania: Mbeya Cement, a LafargeHolcim subsidiary, has launched a higher strength cement and stated that its production capacity will triple to 1.1Mt/yr at the end of October 2015. The company, which is 35% locally-owned, said that the cement 'Tembo Supaset 42.5' is used by civil contractors and pre-casters.
Lafarge Tanzania's CEO Catherine Langreney said that the product specifically addresses the needs for block making, concrete mix, mega-structures and high visibility infrastructure projects like bridges, roads and stadiums. "This brand is the result of almost one year of careful research and development by our cement technical experts," said Langreney. "Supaset CEM II is a specially-formulated Portland composite cement that is engineered to meet the fast-setting requirements of block makers."
The introduction of Supaset is likely to assist Mbeya Cement to increase its market share in the block making segment, improve customer satisfaction with Lafarge brands and reinforce its position as a leader in innovation within the Tanzanian construction industry. Langreney said that, before the end of 2015, Mbeya Cement will launch two new innovative products to meet demand of fast growing construction industry and the economy at large.
To cater for future demand, Mbeya Cement plans to start a new vertical grinding production plant, the first in sub-Sahara Africa, at the end of October 2015. "The new 700,000Mt/yr plant will elevates our capacity to 1.1Mt/yr," said Langreney.
Court ruled in favour of Cementos de Chihuahua 15 October 2015
Bolivia/Mexico: A civil court in La Paz, Bolivia has ruled to suspend the damages sentence imposed by the Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission (CIAC) that obliged Mexican cement company Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC) to pay Bolivian investment company Compania de Inversiones Mercantiles (Cimsa) compensation. The decision, announced on 9 October 2015, sets the arbitration court to issue a new resolution and cancels the embargo sentence ruled by a court in Colorado, US. This resolution obliged GCC to provide information about its properties in Colorado and to cancel any assets sales in that area.