Global Cement News

India: Kesoram Industries, a BK Birla Group company, has committed US$38.7m towards setting up a grinding unit at Sholapur, Maharashtra.

The first phase of the new 1.5Mt/yr grinding unit would be completed in the next 20 months, according to Kesoram's CEO Arvind Kumar Singh. When completed, the plant will be its first standalone grinding unit outside its main production bases in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

India: The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has ordered closure of India Cements Limited (ICL) factory at Yerraguntla and initiated action against four more cement plants in the state's Kadapa district, for non-compliance of its directions and standards and causing severe air pollution in surrounding areas.

The APPCB said that it issued closure orders in the interest of protecting public health and the environment, in accordance with a decision taken at a hearing conducted by the APPCB on 5 August 2013. The electricity authorities were directed to disconnect the ICL factory from the grid.

The ICL factory closure was ordered due to: non-compliance with regard to upgrade requirements to its electrostatic precipitators (ESP); failing to meet emissions standards; storing limestone in an open area, leading to excessive dust in nearby public roads and villages; not disposing solid waste correctly; inadequate water sprinkling systems.

Along with the ICL plant, Kadapa district officials investigated the district's four other cement plants. These are an ICL plant at Chilamakul, Zuari Cements at Yerraguntla, Bharti Cements at Kamalapuram and Dalmia Cements at Mylavaram. Bharti Cements must provide an automatic water sprinkling system along its roads to minimise dust emissions by 23 September 2013. The APPCB issued warnings to Zuari and Dalmia to conform to regulatory standards.

Kenya/Tanzania/Uganda: Cement makers in east Africa are set to get a major lift from an expected surge in demand driven by double-digit growth of the construction sector in the region, according to stockbrokerage firm Kestrel Capital.

Kestrel's analysts say that the construction sector is likely to outpace economic growth, expanding by up to 13%/yr compared to expected GDP growth of 6.0%/yr, 5.5%/yr and 7.0%/yr in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania respectively.

The growth is expected to boost sales for regional cement makers and reverse the fortunes of Kenya's East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC), the performance of which has been damaged by management wrangles at the company.

Nigeria: The Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) has disclosed plans to raise US$280m for the establishment of a new 1Mt/yr cement production line.

According to the chairman of CCNN, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, the board of the company is now ready to implement the resolution passed at the 32nd AGM (in 2011) that authorised it to raise the necessary funds.

To help the expansion, the investment includes new coal grinding mill and accessories to help it produce more electricity. CCNN currently produces 90% of its required electrical energy requirements due to high prices and unreliable national network provision. The chairman added that the company had previously implemented an alternative fuel strategy by using rice husks. This has already cut its production costs by 15%.

CCNN made a net profit of US$7.4m in the year to 31 December 2012. This was down by nearly 50% compared to the US$14.2m that it made in the year to 31 December 2011.

Russia: Eurocement Group has announced that it will invest Euro203.9m on the upgrade of its affiliate company Mikhailovskcement, which is located in the Ryazan Region in the west of Russia.

Eurocement said that the upgrade will see the plant's capacity rise to 3.6Mt/yr from 1.9Mt/yr via the addition of a new dry-process cement kiln line. The plant currently has four wet process kilns. A time-scale for completion of the upgrade was not given.