News

Hong Kong-based Energy International Investments Holdings’ (Energy International) CNY 185 million (US$28.54 million) acquisition of Samoa-based Mission Achiever includes a 51% shareholding in a China-based company involved in the sale of building materials, asphalt, petrochemical additives, chemical products and fuels, as well as import and export, port and dock construction and investment.

The French building supplies sector could be set for a good recovery in 2016, according to Union nationale des industries de carrières et matériaux de construction (Unicem), the French national union for quarries and construction materials.

British Gypsum has announced its annual Corporate Responsibility Review, highlighting the firm's latest achievements in economic sustainability, social commitment and improvements to reduce its products’ environmental impact. The building materials giant says it has been able to send zero waste to landfill for the fifth consecutive year. The company has also become the first producer of interior lining systems to attain a BES 6001 'Excellent' rating for its Gypframe metal components, Glasroc specialist boar

China-based Huaxin Cement is preparing to invest US$150 million in building a cement production plant in Kazakhstan’s Aktobe region. A linked agreement on the project was finalised by Aktobe's provincial governor and Huaxin Cement on 13 December 2015. The cement plant is due to have production capacity of 1.5million tonnes/year and will use natural gas instead of coal in its production process.

Chinese investors are reportedly looking to build a cement plant in the Osh region of the Kyrgyz Republic. The facility will have a 2 million tonnes/year capacity, and its output is intended for the domestic market.

Aggregates producers could be about to see their materials in high demand in Qatar after reports in The Gulf Times that rulers are preparing to invest QAR 261 billion (US$ 71.67 billion) in infrastructure development. The huge investment will focus on water, electricity, transport and sewage networks as well as road expansion projects.

Of the total QAR 261 billion new infrastructure budget, QAR 87 billion will be spent on transport sector development, including on port infrastructure and new rail projec

Novoroscement, one of Russia’s major cement producers, may become the general sponsor of the Kuban football club (South). A decision on whether the Novorossiysk headquartered company obtains its football goal will be made in the near future.

Lafarge Zambia (Lafarge), in partnership Congolese Railways and Zambia Railways, has commissioned a new modern rail loading facility in Ndola. The new facility will increase cement exports into the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo (DR). Lafarge aims to load 400tonnes/week of cement in 2016, and exceed that figure in 2017. Additionally, the company plans a four-fold increase in the 150,000tonnes/year of cement exports to Zimbabwe, Malawi and Congo (DR).

LafargeHolcim and CDC Group (CDC), the UK’s development finance institution, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to set up a company to produce and promote an affordable low-carbon construction solution for developing countries.

The new company aims to scale-up production of earth-cement bricks, a simple, reliable, affordable and environmentally-friendly building material that was launched by LafargeHolcim in Malawi in 2013.

Deforestation and forest degradation account for the majority of Malawi

The Slovak capital Bratislava has set aside €44.5 million for road construction and repairs during 2016.

The road budget is part of next year’s general budget of nearly €281 million from which public transport will receive just over €70 million and integrated transport systems will get nearly €3 million.

World Highways reported in June that controversy continues to surround a proposed D4 motorway bypass around Bratislava and what tunnel option under the Little Carpathian Mountains is the best value.

The Ministry of Infrastructure has boosted its budget for 2016 to US$1.65 billion, an increase of $60.2 million over last year.

According to a report by La Prenza, road projects include renovation of around 69km of the Tegucigalpa-Catacamas route and continuation of the San Francisco de la Paz-Puerto Castilla road.

The ministry also said it will improve 80km of rural roads in indigenous areas and will undertake 332km of refurbishment on other roads.

Earlier this month, World Highways reported that

Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery (known as Lingong) recently celebrated two important milestones - its 100th SDLG motor grader sale in Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) region, and its first motor grader sale in the Sultanate of Oman.

The G9220 motor grader was delivered to Sunshine International, a leading construction company based in Oman. The machine was supplied by General Engineering Services, Genserv, SDLG’s well-known local dealer, and has already been set to work carrying out road mainte