Thailand: SCG’s cement business is increasing its share to 100% from 50% in two companies in two logistics subsidiaries, Thai Prosperity Terminal (TPT) and Bangkok Interfreight Forwarding Company (BIFC). Both companies have a combined value of around US$4m. The transactions are expected to complete in the first quarter of 2019.

TPT provides commercial port operation management services for both import and export consisting of Phra Pradaeng Port and Map Ta Phut Port. BIFC provides water transportation services for containers and container moving services at the ports of TPT. Increasing its stake in the companies is expected to allow SCC to provide logistics services in the areas of port and freight forwarding and will enable it to use its own assets better and facilitate domestic port to port expansion.

Portugal: Turkey’s Oyak Cement has completed it acquisition of Cimpor. The completion of the transaction follows the approval of the European Commission in mid-January 2019, according to the Expresso newspaper. The purchase includes three integrated cement plants, two grinding plants, 20 quarries and 46 ready-mix concrete plants in Portugal and Cape Verde.

UK: Hanson has completed a Euro1.25m upgrade to its Bellshill cement terminal in Glasgow, converting it into a dual product storage and distribution site. Improvements included new pipework and a new silo monitoring system. The site has three silos: two for cement powder, transported by rail from the company’s Ribblesdale cement plant in Lancashire, and one for the storage and distribution of ground granulated blastfurnace slag (GGBS), produced at the company’s Teesport site in Middlesbrough. The upgrade took 17 months to complete. Cement has been transported by rail to the Bellshill terminal since 2007.

Iraq: Pakistan’s Attock Cement has completed civil, mechanical and electrical construction work on its grinding plant at Basra. The unit is now ready for commissioning. The company is currently obtaining permission to import clinker. Once granted the company will start importing clinker and commence trial production at the plant. The producer first announced its intention to build the plant in 2013.