Cement News tagged under: USA

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JP Morgan ups Holcim price target on US outlook, risks remain

21 May 2012, Published under Cement News

JPMorgan raises Holcim's price target to CHF56.50 from CHF55.20 due to optimism on the outlook for the private building sector in the US. "Much better volumes in cement and great weather has provided some hope for the sector," says analyst Michael Morris. Still "risks remain in India, where Holcim is most exposed," he notes.

US cement: on the recovery path

21 May 2012, Published under Cement News

This week saw US building materials producer Eagle Materials report a return to profitability in its fiscal fourth quarter with the company noting an improvement in construction activity across most of its markets. These favourable results reflect an overall trend witnessed by a number of producers in recent quarterly figures, giving rise to optimism that a US recovery may be on the way. Cement consumption volumes in the US have declined rapidly in recent years: from the peak in 2005-06 t...

FLSmidth receives contract for large cement project, USA

18 May 2012, Published under Cement News

FLSmidth has been awarded a contract worth approximately US$136m by a customer in the United States for modernisation of their production facility.   The purpose of the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) project is to convert one of the plant's existing wet process kilns to a preheater, precalciner kiln. As a result, the customer will be able to better fulfill their key environmental objectives; reduction of emissions as well as lower energy consumption and hence a smaller carbon f...

Lafarge Ravena to comply with environmental standards, USA

18 May 2012, Published under Cement News

The Lafarge Ravena cement plant is prepared to keep up with national emission standards which may soon become more stringent, according to Ravena Environmental Manager John Reagan. The EPA has a deadline of June 15 to initiate a proposal to amend the new rules with the US Court of Appeals. As a member of the Portland Cement Association, Lafarge plants may be required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to follow changes to the national emission standard for hazardous air pollutan...

Eagle Materials' cement & plasterboard volumes on the rise, USA

17 May 2012, Published under Cement News

Including its share of the jointly-owned Texas Lehigh Cement, the turnover of Eagle Materials for the financial year to the end of March increased by 8.2% to US$581.2m. Of the total turnover, cement accounted for 41.4%, plasterboard for 37.5%, plasterboard liner for 13.4% and aggregates & concrete for 7.7%. The trading profit rose by 14.4% to US$69.4m, but corporate overheads increased by 17.7% to US$21.9m but other non-operating expenses declined by 14.8% to US$9.1m, giving a profit befo...

EPA sends revised emissions rules for White House Review, USA

11 May 2012, Published under Cement News

The US Enviornmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sent for White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) review its proposed revisions to its emissions rules for the Portland cement sector, ahead of a tentative 15 June deadline for issuing the revisions in line with a proposed consent decree with industry. The agency in September 2010 first issued a national emission standard for hazardous air pollutants rule to reduce the sector's air toxics, alongside a new source performance standard t...

The PCA: supplying direction

09 May 2012, Published under Cement News

To coincide with the 2012 IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference taking place in San Antonio, Texas, in May, International Cement Review took the opportunity to discuss the latest developments in the US cement industry with the Portland Cement Association’s chairman, Aris Papadopoulos. Topics covered included the current status of the industry and sentiment among producers during what is turning out to be another challenging year for the industry, to NESHAP and the role of cement ...

US cement recovery in sight

09 May 2012, Published under Cement News

Ahead of the IEEE-IAS/PCA Technical Cement Conference and Exhibition being held in San Antonio, Texas, 13-17 May, Yuri Serov of Morgan Stanley provides a cogent analysis of the potential for a housing recovery and better cement pricing in the United States with an eventual rigorous rebound in cement consumption starting in 2013, with the country yet again capable of becoming one of the fastest growing cement markets in the world for some time. International Cement Review looks forward...

USA: Lafarge Bath plant applies to burn railroad ties and shingles

04 May 2012, Published under Cement News

Three years after backing off on a plan to burn tyres at its cement plant in Bath, Lafarge is applying to introduce railway ties and asphalt shingles into its kiln. The “low-carbon fuel demonstration project” would run for three years and incinerate up to 75t of construction and demolition debris each day. The application for compliance approval, written by the consulting firm Golder Associates, says that “the emissions from the Bath plant cement kiln are not expected to be significantly c...

USA: Illinois Cement workers rally as strike looms

03 May 2012, Published under Cement News

Conditions are ripe for a walkout at Illinois Cement Company in La Salle. Contract negotiations between Illinois Cement and the local United Steel Workers (USW) began in December. Since early March the union’s 114 members have been working without a contract, said local USW vice president T “Boo” Herndon. Members of USW Local 657 have begun meeting daily during lunchtime in the employee parking lot to discuss their status and prepare for a possible strike. “They want to raise our insur...