News

Nigeria Cement Holding (NCH), the Nigerian subsidiary of newly-merged Holcim and Lafarge, is to pay NGN 55 billion (€250.88 million/US$310.38 million) to buy the remaining 30% of United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM).

The price may vary depending on the exchange rate between the Nigerian Naira and the US dollar at the time of payment.

A first tranche of 15% will be bought in the first quarter of 2015 and the remaining 15% in February 2016 at the latest.

The Lafarge-Holcim merger will likely affect competition in India, according to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which has asked both cement companies to publish details of the consolidation in four major local newspapers and on their respective websites.

Within 15 days of publishing the details, the CCI is to seek objections or comments from the public.

Approval from authorities across the world is necessary for the all-share merger of Lafarge of France and Holcim of Switzerland.

FLSmidth has signed an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contract with one of the world's largest cement producers Cemex for the supply of a new cement production line to be installed at Cemex’s Odessa cement plant in western Texas, USA. Once the installation is finished, the cement production line is expected to have a capacity of approximately 2,540tonnes/day.
The expansion will utilise state-of-the-art production technology resulting in higher fuel efficiency and improved productivity. Th

Breedon Aggregates, the largest independent aggregates business in the UK after the four global majors, says in a current trading performance update that it continues to trade strongly, with both the recently acquired and underlying businesses making good progress.
For the ten months to October, sales volumes of aggregates increased by 26%; asphalt by 12% and ready-mixed concrete by 18% compared to last year.
Group sales revenue for the ten months to October increased by 20% to £226 million (€285 million

In January-September 2014, the net profit of Mordovcement amounted to RUB 174 million (€3.01 million/US$3.77 million, -35%) while its revenue reached RUB 13.70 billion (+8.4%).

At the end of September, 2014, its net debt totalled RUB 25.90 billion.

In Guangzhou, China, a strategic agreement has been signed between China Construction Fourth Engineering Division (China Construction) and Lafarge Shui On Cement (Lafarge).

It is said that the collaboration will help lower the operating costs and improve business process efficienies of both companies.

Cooperative principles such as flexible credit payments, supply security and purchasing priority were confirmed under the deal.

In the quarter of July-September 2014, YTL of Malaysia recorded a 13.9% decline in its revenue from MYR 5.21 billion (€1.23 billion/US$1.55 billion) a year ago to MY 4.48 billion.

Its net profit for the quarter dropped by 50% from MYR 427.56 million to MYR 216.13 million year-on-year, due to smaller contributions from its utility business and losses suffered by its management services and other divisions.

During the quarter, the group‘sYTL cement manufacturing and trading segment registered a 13.2% dr

A municipal solid waste processing project that can handle 300tonnes of waste/day has officially started operation in China's Pingliang city.

The project uses Pingliang Conch Cement Company‘s cement kiln system to process waste.

Arkan Building Materials Co has unveiled its AED 1.30 billion (€282.18 million/US$353.94 million) Al Ain Cement Factory.

Dubbed as the largest in the UAE, the cement factory will be catering for growing demand for building materials and cement in the local market. The factory has a cement production capacity of 4.5 million tonnes/year that could be raised to 5.6 million tonnes/year, followed by a clinker production of 900,000tonnes/year that could rise to 4 million tonnes/year.

It is reported that HeidelbergCement, having three large cement plant in Ukraine and occupying 23.8% of the local market, has stopped production at its plant in the Donbass region.

Its plant located east of Donetsk is in an area controlled by the pro-Russian separatists.

According to a representative of HeidelbergCement, their ideas about how business should be conducted does not coincide with the views of the group.

The newly-developed 55kW Hatz diesel engine 4H50TIC is among the TOP 10 of the GreenTec Awards 2015, one of Europe’s most prestigious environmental awards.

Development of the engine was funded because of its predicted and achieved goals by the Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy in Germany.

The engine is said to be the world's first industrial diesel engine that follows a consistent downsizing concept, and in a public online voting t until 11 January, 2015, it could be selected to the finals by vis

The 2014 winner of the international Swedish Steel Prize is Belaz from Belarus.

The prize was awarded for the company’s “innovative and new construction” for axle suspension and slewing bearings for the world’s largest dump truck. The new construction takes full advantage of the properties of high-strength steel.

“Belaz has boldly gone beyond the boundaries of what has earlier been considered possible using available technology,” says Gregoire Parenty, chairman of the jury and executive vice president

The UK Mineral Products Association (MPA) played an active and supporting role at the CBI Minerals Group’s Living with Minerals 5’ (LWM5) Conference with the theme Towards a UK Minerals Strategy’.

The Conference debated the merits of a UK Minerals Strategy, as well as drawing attention to the essential contribution of the minerals industry to the UK economy and our quality of life.

New findings launched at the event revealed that:

Minerals extraction generates a turnover of £5.3 billion (€6.6 bill

The aggregates market in The Netherlands has been given a boost after the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Environment and the State Secretary said an extra €28 billion is to be made available until 2028 for the construction, management and maintenance of national roads, railways and waterways. The extra investment will enable the reinforcement of five bridges across the canals in Twente, improvement of the ring road Noordelijke Randweg Utrecht, and the installation of electric wiring on the railway lin