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Omani producers face hike in natural gas prices

01 December 2014, Published under Cement News

Oman’s two leading cement producers are looking to mitigate the effects of an impending rise in natural gas prices which are expected to lead to an increase in the cost of cement production. The country’s Ministry of Oil and Gas (MOG) is to increase the price of natural gas as of 1 January 2015. The price will thereafter increase every year for both companies at rates specified by the ministry. Last week, an advisory body to Oman’s government suggested spending cuts and tax rises to cope w...

Dalmia Cement acquires full control of Bokaro Jaypee Cement

01 December 2014, Published under Cement News

Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd has acquired full control of Bokaro Jaypee Cement Ltd (BoJCL), following the purchase of the 26 per cent stake in the company it did not already own. BOJCL was initially set up in 2008 up as a 74:26 per cent joint venture between Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) and the Steel Authority of India’s (SAIL). In June this year, JAL sold its entire majority shareholding in BoJCL to Dalmia Cement. Shri Rangam Securities & Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Dalmia, has now pu...

Cimpor African results improve 9M14

28 November 2014, Published under Cement News

Cimpor's nine-month turnover declined by 1.6 per cent to EUR1952.2m and the EBITDA was off by 4.2 per cent to EUR461.1m as the Brazilian, Argentine and South African currencies declined by 10 per cent, 36 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively. South America generated 69.1 per cent of the EBITDA in the nine months compared with 79.5 per cent a year earlier. The trading profit (EBIT) came down by 2.6 per cent to EUR321.5m and the net financial charges declined by 1.2 per cent to EUR287.1m, to...

Government support of Canadian plant to be investigated

27 November 2014, Published under Cement News

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) welcomed the move by the Office of the US Trade Representative to press Canada at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over a financial assistance package provided for a cement plant in Quebec that US cement producers say amount to illegal subsidies of up to US$400m. "USTR has raised this issue at high levels of Canadian government and is currently reviewing the financial assistance package that Canada provided. Senator Brown is pleased the issue was raised at the...

PT Indocement Pati plant delayed

26 November 2014, Published under Cement News

The development of PT Indocement's project for a greenfield plant in Pati regency, Central Java, which was scheduled to start in 2016, is now likely be postponed for two years, according to a company executive. “Although currently its environmental impact analysis [Amdal] document has been completed and only has just to wait for permission from the regent, its construction is expected to commence in 2018,” PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa vice president director, Franciscus Welirang, said af...

UK: Hanson Cement set to expand Padeswood

26 November 2014, Published under Cement News

Having staved off closure, Hanson Cement's Padeswood plant is now looking to expand with a rail link and additional cement capacity in a new GBP1.2m investment project. The scheme will see staff numbers at the Flintshire site double to nearly 100 staff at Padeswood and the nearby Cefn Mawr Quarry. The turnaround has occurred after an increase in local house building and other construction activity has improved cement demand. Work is underway on a new cement line and the plant is also co...

India: LafargeHolcim merger could harm competition

25 November 2014, Published under Cement News

The merger between Holcim (Switzerland) and Lafarge (France) is likely to hurt competition in the country, says the Indian Competition Commission (CCI), according to reports in the Indian media. The CCI stated that it ''formed a prima facie opinion that the combination is likely to have an appreciable adverse effect on competition.'' The regulator has now directed both companies to publish details of the merger to the knowledge of the public and rival companies that may be affected or...

Myanmar: Siam Cement starts work on new plant

24 November 2014, Published under Cement News

Thailand's largest cement producer, Siam Cement Group (SCG), has begun work on its greenfield Mawlamyine plant, in Mon State, Myanmar. The new 1.8Mta facility is scheduled to start production in 2Q16. SCG has finished work on an access road and is building a 40MW plant to power the factory. The site for the plant is also being prepared for work. Myanmar country director for SCG Cement-Building Materials, Chana Poomee, said SCG’s sales in the country will reach 2Mta by this year. Currently,...

PPC full-year cement sales rise 2%

20 November 2014, Published under Cement News

South Africa's largest cement producer, PPC, reported a two per cent rise in cement sales for the full year to the end of September 2014, as growth in some of its sub-Saharan markets was offset by challenging operating conditions at home. Group revenue increased by nine per cent to ZAR9.04bn (US$818m), mainly attributable to the consolidation of Safika Cement and Pronto Readymix as well as the full-year impact of Cimerwa. On a like-for-like basis, revenue would have been three per c...

Peru: exports offset domestic sales slip

20 November 2014, Published under Cement News

Peru’s cement market remained stable in October as domestic sales slipped slightly from 967,000t in October 2013 to 965,000t, according to Asocem, the country’s cement association. However, local producers saw a more marked YoY fall in output from 944,000t to 983,000t. The modest loss in domestic cement sales was successfully compensated for by a 50 per cent YoY rise in cement exports as cement manufacturers delivered 30,000t across the country’s borders. In addition, they also saw clinke...