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Cementos Argos to boost Colombian capacity with new 2.3Mt/yr line 16 September 2014
Colombia: Cementos Argos plans to expand its Sogamoso cement plant, located in the Boyacá department of Colombia, with a new 2.3Mt/yr line, involving an investment of US$450m.
The strategic location of the Sogamoso plant will enable Cementos Argos to serve the Bogota market as well as growing demand in the centre of Colombia, where around 70% of cement consumption for the country's infrastructure plant will be concentrated. As well as Bogota, the location of the plant allows for efficient access to the Eastern Plains, Santander and North Santander.
"This investment reflects our confidence and commitment to the development of Colombia," said Jorge Mario Velásquez, Argos' CEO. "Factors such as institutional and regulatory strengthening for infrastructure development; the important 4G projects for more than US$25Bn and greater resources for housing development, will drive the growth in cement consumption in the next few years. As a Colombian company, we are committed to assisting the country in its development."
The new project will boost Argos' installed capacity in Colombia from 9.5Mt/yr to 11.8Mt/yr, an increase of 24%. Completion of the Sogamoso expansion is scheduled for 2018. Argos said that up to 40% of fossil fuels would be replaced with alternative fuels. Water and fuel consumption will be 24% and 18% lower than at standard plants, respectively, while emissions of particulate matter will be 67% below the national limit. Cementos Argos will also invest in developing the local community's educational infrastructure.
"The intensive infrastructure programmes carried out in neighbouring countries such as Panama, Peru and Ecuador, have propelled the simultaneous decrease in unemployment rates and upsurge in home construction, creating a virtuous cycle to improve people's quality of life, which we wish to see in Colombia," added Velásquez.
Iraq has agreed to increase the volume of Iran's cement exports 15 September 2014
Iran: As of 1 September 2014, each Iranian cement company can export 15,000t/yr cement into Iraq from the Shalamcheh, Chazzabeh and Mehran border terminals, according to Jahanbakhsh Sanjabi Shirazi, the head of Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce. He noted that the new regulations have been adopted by Iraq's Trade Ministry.
Iran exports 8 – 10Mt/yr of cement to Iraq, supplying almost half of Iraq's total cement consumption. Iraq consumes 19Mt/yr of cement. Iran exported over 8Mt of cement to Iraq between 21 March 2014 and 21 August 2014.
Iran currently exports cement to 24 countries, including Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, Georgia, Oman, India and China. Iran has successfully started to use railroads to export cement to neighbouring and Central Asian countries. The main importers of Iranian cement are Iraq (63%), Azerbaijan (4%) and Turkmenistan (7%).
Economic slowdown hurting cement production 15 September 2014
South Africa: PPC has warned that slower economic growth and falling infrastructure spending has led to a 'particularly tough' domestic market. Low single-digit volume declines across Africa's second-biggest economy were partly offset by higher sales prices in the 10 months to July 2014. South Africa's economy is forecast to grow at the slowest pace since the 2009 recession in 2014 after strikes in the platinum mining and metalworkers industries hurt output.
Meanwhile, a new plant in Rwanda is expected to be commissioned early 2015 as PPC seeks growth opportunities in other markets. Indeed, PPC is expanding in several other African countries, including Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, as demand for cement grows in sub-Saharan Africa. It is targeting 40% of sales outside South Africa by 2017, compared with 26% in the six months to March 2014.
Four Holcim plants receive EPA's Energy Star 15 September 2014
US: Holcim (US) Inc has announced that four of its plants earned the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) prestigious Energy Star award.
"Holcim is grateful to, once again, be awarded for our commitment to sustainability," said Filiberto Ruiz, president and CEO of Holcim (US) and Aggregate Industries US. "We understand how important it is for our facilities to have corporate values in place that help protect the environment and we recognise that this should be a priority each and every day."
This marks the third time that Holcim's Midlothian plant in Midlothian, Texas has received the award, while the Devil's Slide plant in Morgan, Utah has been honoured for its seventh consecutive year. The Holly Hill plant in Holly Hill, South Carolina and the St Genevieve plant in Bloomsdale, Missouri have both received the award for the fifth time.
Bhavya Cements wins approval for 3Mt/yr cement grinding plant in Odisha 12 September 2014
India: Bhavya Cements has received approval from the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) for the construction of a 3Mt/yr capacity cement grinding plant in Dhenkanal, Odisha, with a capital investment of US$60m. Separately, Shree Cement also plans to set up a 3Mt/yr capacity cement plant in the same location for US$74.4m.