Cement News tagged under: europe

RSS feed

Swiss shipments advance 3.8% YoY

08 January 2014, Published under Cement News

Swiss cement shipments in 2013 rose by 3.8 per cent YoY, latest data from local association cemsuisse reveals. Fourth quarter sales proved to be particularly strong, rising 7.2 per cent YoY due to favourable weather conditions. Total deliveries for the year reached 4.564Mt last year compared to 4.395Mt during the year before. CEM II represented the lion’s share of sales at 85 per cent, while CEM I accounted for 13.3 per cent. A significant change was seen in distribution methods...

CRH full-year development spend

07 January 2014, Published under Cement News

CRH announced a total of seven acquisitions and investment initiatives in the second half of 2013, taking full-year development activity to EUR0.69bn. The company invested EUR0.22bn in the six months to the end of December last year, including one transaction in Asia, three under its American Materials division and a further three in its Distribution segment. Commenting on the these developments, CRH’s new chief executive Albert Manifold said: “Development spend of almost EUR0.7bn in 2013...

EC rejects request by Germany to review deal

07 January 2014, Published under Cement News

The European Commission (EC) has rejected a request from Germany to refer the planned acquisition of Cemex West by Holcim to the German competition authority for assessment under national competition law. The EC concluded that the geographic scope of the affected cement markets is wider than national and that therefore the Commission cannot refer the assessment of the transaction to Germany. The commission has until 31 March 2014 to take a final decision. In the proposed transaction Holc...

Catalonian monthly sales tumble

23 December 2013, Published under Cement News

Cement sales in Spain's autonomous region of Catalonia during November 2013 fell by 21.8 per cent YoY to 110,140t. The decline was more than double the 9.3 per cent fall overall in Spain. Sales for the accumulated January to November period in Catalonia were also down 20.7 per cent to 1.43Mt. (Source: Expansión)

Cementir sets out 2014-16 business targets

18 December 2013, Published under Cement News

Cementir's Board of Directors has approved the company's 2014-16 Business Plan which sees average annual EBITDA growth of around 16 per cent over the period. The plan lays the foundations for a further period growth following positive trends seen during 2013, the company said in a statement released yesterday. The strategy focuses on four key priorities: Improving the profitability of the current business Consolidating the group’s leadership in the white cement market Complet...

Spain: cement consumption to drop 20% in 2013

18 December 2013, Published under Cement News

National cement consumption is expected to register a double-digit decline for its sixth-consecutive decline as Spanish cement association, Oficemen, put the YoY drop at 20 per cent. Oficemen also points out the decreasing profit margins for the country’s producers as demand continues to falls and production costs move in the opposite direction. The lack of competitive power prices, which sees price differences between Spanish and German power of around EUR15-30/MWh have pushed up product...

Titan long-term ratings lifted

10 December 2013, Published under Cement News

The long-term ratings on Greece-based cement producer Titan Cement have been lifted by ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) to 'BB' from 'BB-'.  At the same time, it affirmed the 'B' short-term rating on Titan Cement. S&P has removed all the abovementioned ratings from CreditWatch, where Titan was placed with positive implications on 26 November, 2013. The outlook is stable. Titan Cement's stand-alone credit profile is 'bb', based upon S&P’s assessment of the group's business  risk ...

Cementir’s Taranto cement plant to cease clinker production by year-end

09 December 2013, Published under Cement News

Cementir is to cease clinker production from its 1.4Mta integrated Taranto works at the end of December, but milling operations are set to continue at the southern Italy-based plant. The company reiterated that weak domestic demand has led to a reduction in production levels, although for 2014 there are early indications of a slight recovery in consumption. Over the first nine months of the year, Cementir’s domestic deliveries were down by another 14 per cent and turnover declined by E...

Euroconstruct adjusts 2013-15 forecasts

02 December 2013, Published under Cement News

Construction forecast group Euroconstruct has published its updated Construction Investment forecasts for 2013-15 which sees a three per cent decline this year across the 19 countries for which it provides forecasts, and a gradual upturn from 2014. In western Europe its overall expectations remain unchanged at a 2.7 per cent decline. Its forecasts for Germany were revised down (+0.3 per cent compared to a previous estimate of +1.2 per cent), while the UK has been upgraded from -2 per cent ...

Cemex quarries win European biodiversity awards

29 November 2013, Published under Cement News

Two Cemex quarries, Rugeley in the UK and Soto Pajares in Spain, have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to biodiversity at the European Aggregates Association (UEPG) awards in Brussels. Rugeley Quarry in Cannock Chase, West Midlands received a Recognition of Achievement for its significant restoration work and excellent habitat management activities. Soto Pajares Quarry in the Province of Madrid, Spain won the Special Award for Biodiversity for its outstanding actions rel...