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Quarrying and aggregates producers along the old Silk Road look likely to benefit from XCMG’s new One Belt One Road Service Tour. On May 29 2015 ambassadors from twenty countries as far afield as Argentina and Angola attended the launch ceremony at XCMG’s headquarters in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.

One Belt One Road is an initiative set out by Chinese President Xi Jinping to promote trade and development broadly along the area of the former Silk Road which linked China with markets in the Middle Ea

The aerated concrete market in St Petersburg and Leningrad region totalled RUB 800-900 million (€14.1- 15.9 million/US$16.15-18.17 million) in Q1 2015.

The production totalled 250,000-260,000m³, the sales in North-West shortened by 5-7% to 230,000m³ year-on-year.

The largest producers are said to be: LSR. Stenovie materialy-Severo-Zapad (Aeroc); H+H; EuroAeroBeton; STK, and 211-KZHBI.

The outlook for market size in 2015 is 1 million m³

China's cement imports from January to April 2015 fell by 60.61% to 37,300 tonnes, as compared to the same period in 2014.

Meanwhile, the nation's cement exports decreased by 4.68% to 2.8243 million tonnes, accounting for 0.44% of the nationwide cement output. Exports of clinker grew by 35.15% to 1.7686 million tonnes.

Despite Morocco's cement consumption decreasing for the third year in a row (13% since 2012), Lafarge Maroc held its head above the waterline in 2014, thanks to aggregate sales, which grew 6%, and to the launch of new ranges of cement and packaged plaster, while cement sales fell 15%.

In 2014, the company generated some MAD 5 billion (€453.95 million/US$519.80 million) turnover.

The company believes the cement market in 2015 will remain broadly stagnant compared to 2014.

James Kee, an engineering apprentice with CDE Global in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, recently made the finals of the Apprentice of the Year Awards, organised by the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) to recognise the achievements of those currently undertaking apprenticeship training across all sectors in Northern Ireland.

After being shortlisted to the final six out of 7,000 apprentices James attended the grand final in along with Sean Kerr, engineering manager CDE Global.

He said: “I fee

Allu Stamix has appointed Ville Niutanen as new president of the company.

Niutanen, who has years of experience in stabilisation sector, officially starts working for Allu Stamix at the start of June 2015, and the current president Kauko Pylväs continues his duties as president of the whole Allu Group.

Niutanen, who previously worked for Lemminkäinen Infra and Biomaa, has also worked in several stabilisation projects and been involved in Allu stabilisation machinery development as a specialist for yea

Global cement consumption is expected to grow throughout 2015 and continue throughout the next year, but at the slower rate than in the past.

A report released by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) indicates that cement consumption among developed economies increased by roughly 9.2 million tonnes in 2014, followed by another 9 million tonne increase in 2015.

“Most of the gains in developed world cement consumption is attributed to North America,” said Edward J. Sullivan, chief economist and group

Absolut-Keramik will build a plant for the production of facing ceramic brick in Kostanay, Kazakhstan.

Investments in the project are estimated at KZT 4.20 billion (€19.73 million/US$ 22.59 million).

The capacity of the plant will be 40 million bricks/year.

Estonia's cement producer Kunda Nordic Tsement of HeidelbergCement Group, has reduced output and made 30 employees redundant, citing decline in clinker exports to Russia.

CEO Meelis Einstein said the forced need to cut expenditures has had a negative impact on suppliers of support services to Kunda Nordic Tsement.

Philippines-based San Miguel is considering to re-enter the cement sector in Malaysia's Sarawak state.

In 2007, the group had sold Sarawak Clinker. Ramon S Ang, president of San Miguel, says that securing government permissions are difficult although the company is interested to open cement factories in the state.

According to reports, the production director of Semen Padang, Agus B Nurbiantoro, says that the cement producer is looking at innovation and continuous development to produce quality products to compete in the global market.

Some 39 teams have contributed their innovations in the Semen Padang Improvement Event in the second half of 2014.

Winners from the event will compete at the annual Semen Indonesia Award on Innovation.

According to the Bruno Carre, managing director of Egypt-based Suez Cement, the cement manufacturer is spending US$ 52.40 million (€47.77million)/year for four years.
In 2015, it is likely to convert two new facilities. It targets to raise its energy intake as well as production capacity by 15%.
The company would not lodge a request to get a new cement licence.

Morocco's new law on quarry exploitation has been adopted by the Parliament with the aim of simplifying procedures, creating jobs and levelling the playing field in the sector.
The reform includes the preparation of regional mining plans, and obliges mining companies to carry out environmental impact studies. It also extends permits from five to 20 years, and up to 30 years if the company also has a transformation activity, while authorities must make a decision on whether to grant a permit within 60 days

The 50th Marmomacc, the most important international event dedicated to marble, granite, processing technologies, design and training scheduled next 30 September-3 October, 2015, is already fully booked.
The event, organised by Veronafiere, is being held in Verona, Italy, in conjunction with Abitare il Tempo, the b2b exhibition for professionals in interior design and contract sectors,
The shows were presented at an event in Milan attended by the president and CEO and director general of Veronafiere, resp