News

Malawi's Ministry of Trade and Industry has issued some new cement import licences, to protect buyers from steep prices set by local monopolies.

The Ministry has called for more investors to import cement to promote competition and reduce prices, while warning against smuggled cement that may harm the public.

Prices in the southern region are higher than in the central region due to the latter having imports from Zambia, and some producers in the northern region are said to be making the government w

Uganda's 2016-17 budget specifies an increase in the excise duty on cement to US$0.29 (€0.26) for a 50kg bag, from $0.15 at present.

Excise duties on a number of other items including petrol and motor lubricants are also being increased.

The move is intended to support higher government expenditure, but industry figures warn that this could increase market prices while reducing consumer demand and investments.

One hardware dealer said that local dealers are already making margins of just $0.05/bag

Eric Olsen, the chief executive of LafargeHolcim, is reported as saying that all intermediary objectives have been reached as part of the merger of the two groups.

Olsen said that the company will expand activities in India where cement consumption per person is equal to between 200-225tonnes/year, offering opportunities for development.

The country has yet to conduct important infrastructure investments. By contrast, the per-person cement consumption in China is above 1,000tonnes/year, and a decline

The Sour El-Ghozlane cement works in the Algerian province of Bouira is at 100% capacity, after production ceased for over two months due to supply issues.

The site's director is reported as claiming that some DZD 880 million (€7.08 million/US$7.98 million) has been invested to improve the site's productivity, while electro-filters have been installed to reduce emissions.

The site produces 3,000tonnes/day of cement.

Cement producer Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa (Indocement) plans to appeal a decision of the Semarang Business Adminstration Court, Indonesia.

The court has already revoked a permit for the development of the cement plant by Indocement in Pati, Central Java.

The company has spent seven years doing evaluation for the plant project, and wants to develop the plant in three to four years if the appeal is successful.

Christian Kartawijaya, Indocement’s managing direcgtor, says that the company has prepare

Finnish construction and infrastructure company Lemminkäinen and Finnish airport operator Finavia have agreed on the repaving project of taxiways at Helsinki Airport in Finland.

The renovation will begin in April 2016 and will be finished in October 2016.

The value of the project is approximately € 5.8 million.

Lafarge Cements Morocco reported turnover up 5.1% to over MAD 5 billion (€458.38 million/US$516.53 million) in 2015, while net profit rose 6.5% to MAD 1.4 billion. The company is preparing to acquire Holcim Cement, valued at over MAD 9.1 billion, and completion of the project is scheduled for the third-quarter of 2016. Lafarge Ciments is pursuing its development plan with a project for a new cement plant in Agadir and a grinding facility in Laâyoune.

Volvo Construction Equipment employees at some of the company’s facilities worldwide have been switching off lights for a symbolic 60 minutes as part of the WWF Earth Hour event to inspire collective action on climate change.

The Swedish construction and quarrying equipment manufacturing giant joined in on 19th March as landmarks around the world such as Big Ben in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Sydney Opera House and hundreds of other famous buildings were all willingly plunged into darkness for

Demand for Hillhead 2016 has been buoyant with every square metre of the major UK quarry-based exhibition now allocated, including a new outdoor area at the southern end of the site and an extended Registration Pavilion.

More than 460 exhibitors will attend, with all the major industry players returning as well as some exciting new companies for 2016.

More live demonstrations than ever before are also planned and will span four dedicated areas:

• The Quarry Face will host large excavators and f

The new 600,000 tonnes/year dry process cement plant at the Bugarama head office of Rwanda's sole cement maker Cimerwa (51% owned by South Africa's PPC) is currently running at 60% capacity and should reach full capacity by mid- 2018. The facility was launched in August 2015 after a US$170 million (€150.86 million) investment, and the old 100,000tonnes/year wet process plant decommissioned although some components may be kept in service. It currently runs off a captive state-run 14MW power plant, with a con

An accord has been sealed by Glenwood Private Equity to purchase Lafarge Halla Cement in South Korea for some KRW 630 billion (€480.22 million/US$541.14 million).

The vendor is France's LafargeHolcim.

By the end of April 2016, the takeover will reach completion.

An agreement has been sealed by a consortium consisting of PEF Baring Private Equity Asia (Baring PEA) and Glenwood PE with LargeHolcim to take over the cement company.

Of the total takeover price, it is understood that Baring PEA wil