Vicat’s first quarter cement shipments marginally ahead
Vicat’s first quarter turnover declined by 6.2% in absolute terms and by 5.6% on a comparative basis to €398m. In cement, the turnover was off by 3.4% to €214m, while cement volumes edged ahead by 0.5% to 3.21Mt.
Turnover in concrete and aggregates was down by 10.5% to €136m, with aggregates shipments being down by 1.8% to 3.7Mt but ready-mixed concrete deliveries improved by 3.9% to 1.45Mm³, largely thanks to the sharp recovery in Turkey. Other products and services registered a 6.0% reduction in turnover to €48m. Vicat has agreed its second venture in India, where it is taking a 51% interest in Bharathi Cement, which is doubling the capacity of its Andra Pradesh cement works to 5.0m tonnes towards the end of this year. The new works in Kazakhstan should come on stream towards the end of the year and be fully productive in 2011.
French turnover declined by 10.0% to 173m. The cement turnover was off by 10.0% to €82m with volumes declining by 3.4% as unfavourable climatic conditions hit Vicat’s areas of strength and increased imports from Luxembourg and Germany entered the east of the country. Concrete and aggregates also generated a turnover of €82m, with aggregates volumes declining by 9% and ready-mixed concrete by 6%. Other products and services registered a 12.7% reduction to €47m, with the transport activities showing a 26% fall and building chemicals reclining by a more modest 8%. Elsewhere in Europe, turnover edged ahead by 0.8% to €52. Published under Cement News
