Global Cement News

Pakistan: Exports of cement from Pakistan to Afghanistan have fallen year-on-year for the first four months of the Pakistan fiscal year that started on 1 July 2013, according to figures from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturing Association (APCMA).

For the first four months of the 2013 fiscal year Pakistan exported 1.46Mt of cement, less than one third of the 4.4Mt of cement exported in the entire 2012 fiscal year. Exports to India are also down year-on-year, at 0.14Mt for the first four months of the 2013 fiscal year.

Commentators in the Pakistani media attributed the fall in exports to competition from Iranian exports in Afghanistan and falling demand in India. Once NATO troops leave Afghanistan the cement consumption in that country is expected to become volatile depending on whether civil unrest grows or if government development programmes continue. Cement exports to Afghanistan currently comprise 50% of Pakistan's cement exports.

China: Sichuan Shuangma Cement plans to buy a 25% stake in Lafarge Dujiangyan Cement for US$137m. Shuangma Cement will pay for the acquisition by issuing shares to the company's major shareholder, Lafarge China Overseas Holding.

Indonesia: PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa plants to spend US$335m on capital expenditure in 2014, according to its finance director, Tju Lie Sukanto. Most of the allocation will be spent on the construction of the Indonesian cement producer's new brownfield cement plant at Citeureup. He said that the funds will be completely sourced through the company's internal cash and will be used to improve company productivity.

The construction of the new plant at Citeureup started in October 2013 with an estimated total cost of US$545m. When the plant opens in 2015 it is expected to increase the company's cement production capacity by 4.4Mt/yr. The plant is being constructed in cooperation with China-based Tianjin Cement Industry Design and Research Institute. Indocement also plans to construct another cement plant in the same area with a cement production capacity of 1.9Mt/yr costing up to US$120m.

Germany: The second Techincal Seminar was held by the Loesche Training Centre in Dusseldorf, Germany, between 7 - 9 October 2013. It was attended by more than 40 delegates.

Theodora Bruns and the Loesche Training Center team organised the seminar and Dr Daniel Strohmeyer, Process Technology department of Loesche GmbH, moderated the sessions. Nine lecturers presented an overview on process and operation of a Loesche Mill, its hydraulic system and the latest development in classifier technology. Specific attention was paid to wear, repair and spare parts for Loesche Mills. Lectures on oil quality, oil sampling and new cement types were also included.

India: Following the successful vote to re-structure Holcim's India operations, Ambuja Cements and ACC, the integration of common functions across the two companies has begun.

Holcim wants to eradicate the duplication of roles across the two companies that will aid in savings of US$144m through synergies in supply chain and fixed cost optimisation. The integration will see big changes for some of the two companys' 10,000 employees. Some will be relocated to the group's upcoming facilities as the cement makers have no plans to cut spending.

"The restructuring is about deriving further value from the Indian platform," said Anantharam Gopalkrishnan, vice president for the treasury and tax at Ambuja Cements.

Holcim intends to keep the two brands, Ambuja Cement and ACC, independent. It does not plan to launch the Holcim brand in India or market the two brands with the Holcim tag. When the integration process is completed, which is currently scheduled for 2015, Holcim intends to evaluate the full merger of the operating companies into one unified entity.