Cement News tagged under: UK

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MPA sales suggest 'continued impetus' in construction

04 May 2017, Published under Cement News

Construction market demand in the UK for mineral products was higher in the first three months of this year compared with the previous quarter, providing some evidence of continued impetus in construction activity at the start of the year, according to the Mineral Products Association (MPA). Sales of aggregates grew by 2.1 per cent in 1Q17 compared to the previous quarter and ready-mix concrete by a positive but more subdued 0.7 per cent. Mortar sales accelerated further after the strong ...

CPA: UK construction industry beats post-Brexit expectations

19 April 2017, Published under Cement News

Activity in the UK construction industry is rising at a faster pace following the EU referendum than initially expected, according to the latest forecasts by the Construction Products Association (CPA). Construction output is expected to rise each year between 2017-19, by 1.3 per cent in 2017, 1.2 per cent in 2018 and 2.3 per cent in 2019. The CPA highlights that while the figures may fuel hope of a resilient UK construction industry amid Brexit-related anxieties and rising costs, the grow...

UK: small fire at Cemex Rugby plant

07 April 2017, Published under Cement News

A small fire broke out in the dust filtration system at Cemex's plant in Rugby, according to reports in the local press. Firefighters successfully extinguished the blaze, which occurred on Tuesday, 4 April. "No one was injured, everyone was safe, that’s the main thing. The emergency services attended which is standard procedure and the fire was brought under control," said Martin Casey, Cemex director of public affairs and communications. 

UK: Hanson to develop Victoria Deep Water Terminal

16 March 2017, Published under Cement News

Hanson (HeidelbergCement group) is planning to invest GBP12m at its Victoria Deep Water Terminal (VDWT) on the Thames at Greenwich, UK, to upgrade and improve the site. A planning application has been submitted to the Royal Borough of Greenwich along with a full environmental impact assessment. Hanson is proposing to replace two existing concrete batching plants with three new ones enclosed within a building. This new building will also house the raw materials for concrete production, prin...

UK: Quinn Cement seeks sustainable future

24 February 2017, Published under Cement News

To achieve a more sustainable manufacturing process and further decrease imported fossil fuel consumption, Quinn Cement has adopted the use of alternative fuels from local residual waste materials to co-fuel production. The introduction of solid recovered fuel (SRF) into the manufacturing process has already begun, with the potential for the company to reduce its use of coal by up to 50 per cent annually. The end result is a saving of 1t CO 2 /1t SRF used. This successful transition to ...

UK: Hanson reopens GGBS grinding plant

21 February 2017, Published under Cement News

Hanson has re-opened its ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) grinding plant at Teesport Docks in Middlesbrough, UK, creating 20 new jobs. The plant was mothballed during the recession in 2009, but the upturn in construction activity prompted Hanson to reopen the site. The raw material was originally sourced from the nearby steel works, which has now closed. In future it will be imported, helping to sustain the docks. Site Manager, Duncan Felgate, said: "It has taken nine months to ...

The world in 2016 and outlook for 2017

10 February 2017, Published under Cement News

This year will be a challenging year for the multinational cement companies, which are now faced by uneven economic performance in the emerging markets, combined with a new era of global political uncertainty that could further destabilise markets. On balance, however, global growth looks set to be anchored by positive trends in the major markets of China, India and the US, more than offsetting the poor performance elsewhere. The large cement majors have spent years diversifying their por...

FCC triples loss but cuts debt by third in 2016

07 February 2017, Published under Cement News

Spain’s FCC closed 2016 with a net loss of EUR165.2m, trebling losses when compared with the previous year. The result was attributed to the impact of the cement business and the exchange rate on the environmental services business the company owns in the UK, the company’s second-largest source of income after Spain. For the company it means the fifth-consecutive year of losses. FCC attributed the 2016 result mainly to the adjustment of value made in the goodwill of the cement division, f...

Pakistan: US$400m British investment in new plant

06 February 2017, Published under Cement News

British company Asian Precious Minerals (APML) announced plans to invest US$400m in a new cement plant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The announcement was made during a meeting between APML and the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pervez Khattak. The Chief Minister explained the province’s new industrial policy under which the government offered several incentives to local and foreign investors. He said investors could benefit from a transparent one-window operation for establishin...

Portland Valderrivas notes 7.6% fall in turnover in 2016

03 February 2017, Published under Cement News

Portland Valderrivas saw its turnover decrease 7.6 per cent YoY to EUR536.2m in 2016. The company recorded a net loss of EUR-120.4m, from a net profit of EUR28.6m in 2015. In addition, an EBITDA of EUR-226.4m was posted at the end of 2016, exacerbating the loss of EUR-73.2m reported the prior year. Cement sales slipped 1.7 per cent from 7.3Mt in 2015 to 7.2Mt in 2016 while the concrete division noted a 10.2 per cent drop in sales to 225,000m3. Aggregate sales increased by +26.4 per cent t...