Global Cement News

India: Gebr. Pfeiffer India has appointed Sridhar Shanmugha Sundaram as Senior Vice President, Head of Sales & Marketing.

Sundaram previously worked for FLSmidth for over 30 years. He started in the early 1990s as an Engineer – Plant Engineering and later became Manager - Cement Project Sales in India in the mid-2000s. Amongst other roles he was the Head of Project Sales in India in the mid-2010s and his last position with FLSmidth was as Vice President, Head of Global Product Line - Grinding and Gears from early 2023. Sundaram holds an undergraduate degree in Engineering from the College of Engineering Guindy in Chennai and an Executive Masters of Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School in Denmark.

Gabon: President Brice Oligui Nguema of Gabon invited Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Industries, to invest in Gabon's cement sector during a visit to the country. Discussions centred on potential cement plant investments to bolster Gabon's infrastructure development. President Nguema noted that the collabora­tion with Dangote Industries would bring significant ben­efits, including job creation, technology transfer and en­hanced industrial capacity. This potential investment aims to strengthen economic ties between Nigeria and Gabon and enhance Gabon's industrial capacity, with further discussions planned in the coming months to finalise the investment strategy.

Dangote said "We are excited about the opportunity to invest in Gabon. Our goal is to contribute to the country’s economic diversification and industrialisation efforts. By leveraging our expertise in cement production, we aim to support Gabon’s infrastructure sector."

Southern Africa: PPC has entered a strategic cooperation agreement with Sinoma Overseas Development to improve efficiency, modernise technology, cut production costs, shift to alternative fuels and expand capacity in PPC’s operations in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Canada: Finland-based Wärtsilä will provide a hybrid-electric propulsion system for an 11,000t-capacity limestone carrier, commissioned by CSL Group with China-based CCCC Shanghai Equipment Engineering and Jingjiang Nanyang Shipbuilding. The order supports CSL Group’s decarbonisation strategy by optimising engine and battery load and reducing fuel consumption.

The vessel is scheduled for delivery to CSL Group in 2026 and will initially operate on a hybrid diesel and battery system, transitioning to full electric power by 2031 to reduce carbon emissions by 90%, according to CSL Group. Wärtsilä will supply the whole hybrid electric propulsion system, including generators, DC hub, energy management system, main propulsion e-motors, bow thruster e-motors and battery solution.

The director of Electrical & Power Systems at Wärtsilä Marine, Torsten Büssow, said "Wärtsilä is committed to making decarbonised shipping possible, so we are delighted to be supporting CSL with solutions that enhance the sustainability of their fleet. This is a short sea shipping vessel that will operate with a lot of manoeuvring and variable load profiles, and electrification and hybridisation systems are the most efficient for such vessels."

Singapore: Malaysia-based YTL Corporation has concluded a conditional sale and purchase agreement for an 81% stake in NSL for US$169m. YTL Cement will launch a mandatory unconditional cash offer for all outstanding shares in NSL after completing the acquisition. NSL manufactures precast concrete components and operates an environmental services division.