Global Cement News

Pakistan: Fauji Cement is among 50 Pakistani industrial companies to win a prize at the 12th Fire Safety 2022 on 4 December 2022, the Balochistan Times has reported. Fire Protection Industry of Pakistan (FPIP) and the National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH) selected the winners for their fire safety investments, training time, awareness practices and state of equipment, with the aim of controlling incidents of fire and saving lives.

Kenya: Savannah Cement has ordered a new US$300m production line from China-based Sinoma international Engineering for its Kitui plant. The project scope covers supplying an integrated clinker production line from limestone crushing to cement packaging and logistics. The line will have a clinker production capacity of 8000t/day. Commissioning of the new line is scheduled for about two years after the contract takes effect.

Zimbabwe: Lafarge Zimbabwe has finalised a deal to sell a 76% stake in the company to Fossil Mines. The transaction is now set to conclude once the shares are transferred in exchange for the agreed price. The divestment by the subsidiary of Switzerland-based Holcim was first announced in June 2022. No amount for the transaction has been disclosed publicly.

Australia: AdBri says that the cost of an ongoing upgrade at its Kwinana grinding plant has risen to US$177m - 200m following a review of the project. Initial findings reported that the project cost had been inflated by a range of factors, including the escalating cost of construction in Western Australia and constraints on available labour. The project was originally budgeted at around US$140m. The company has already invested US$64m in it.

The cement producer is now conducting a more thorough analysis of the project. It says it might be able to ‘optimise value’ through re-scoping, cutting costs and improving the synergies with AdBri’s existing operations and logistics network. It expects the review of the project to be complete by early 2023. The upgrade was previously scheduled for commissioning in mid-2023.

India: Adani Group is negotiating with several international banks to extend and refinance loans worth US$3.5bn that it used to buy Ambuja Cement and ACC. The Business Standard newspaper reports that the company hopes to extend the bridging loans it originally secured to a tenure of five years. Adani Group purchased the former subsidiaries of Switzerland-based Holcim for around US$6.5bn in September 2022. It later said it planned to invest a further US$2.5bn into its new cement business to double its production capacity.