News

In line with government policy on cutting cement exports, Taiwan Cement plans to reduce its local cement output from 8.4 million tonnes in 2013 to 7 million tonnes in 2014. According to Taiwan Cement Senior Vice President Edward Huang the firm plans to increase its cement price in China's Jiangsu Province by US$3.25-$4.87 (CNY 20 – 30 per tonne) from $42.26 (CNY 260) per tonne by end-August 2014. The cement price in China's Guangdong Province will be increased by the same amount per tonne from $50.38 (CNY 3

Montreal, Canada-based Major Wire Industries has appointed Alain Durand as vice president of international sales.

He has worked with Major Wire as a global market development consultant since May 2013, and in his new role he will continue to develop and manage international markets for the company, in conjunction with Germany-based Haver & Boecker, to further promote Major Wire’s industry-leading reputation and to increase sales for its Flex-Mat 3 and OptimumWire screen media product lines. Haver & Boeck

IronPlanet, the online auction company for pre-owned construction, mining and agricultural equipment, will hold its first-ever West African online auction in Ghana on 3 September, 2014.

In conjunction with their alliance partner, GraysOnline, IronPlanet will be selling over 100 items of surface and mining equipment as well as a wide range of heavy construction machinery. The auction will feature machines from Caterpillar, Komatsu and many other top brands, and in preparation for the auction.

Matt Bous

Construction brick production in Russia totalled 5.54 billion items in January-June 2014.

The figures increased by 5.4% compared with H1 2013.

The amount of ceramic brick produced was 3.87 billion items (+4%) and sand-lime brick was 1.79 billion items (+15,4%).

The factory price of ceramic brick totalled RUB 7.90 (€0.16/US$0.22) per item (+6.1%) and sand-lime brick's price amounted to RUB 5,9 (-0.6%) in June 2014.

The Swiss building materials and construction chemicals producer Sika has expanded its production capacity in the US.

It opened a new plant for concrete additives in Denver and added a grout factory at the existing business site in Atlanta.

Sika now has 12 plants in the US. It did not reveal how much it invested in the new ones.

West China Cement's revenue increased 1.5% from a year ago to CNY 2bn (€242.51 million/US$324.7 million) during January to June 2014, thanks to higher average selling price of cement.

Due mainly to foreign exchange losses, the cement maker recorded a 4.8% decline in net profit to CNY 160 million. The EBITDA of West China Cement rose 11.7% to CNY 635 million.

It is reported that Panyam Cement has shut down its 400,000tonnes/year capacity cement plant temporarily in Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh, India, while Bheema Coromandel is running its 1.2 million tonnes/year plant at token production.

Several other cement companies in Telengana and Andhra Pradesh have also shut down plants or are running them on a campaign basis due to poor demand and unremunerative prices.

South India has recorded demand of 70 million tonnes/year against production capacity of some 110 mi

Ulyanovskcement, part of the Eurocement Group, will construct a new all-dry cement plant on the base of ongoing factory in Novoulyanovsk, (Ulyanovsk, Volga).

An installed capacity of the plant will be 3 million tonnes of concrete/year, and the launch is scheduled for 2017.

China Triumph International Engineering, a part of the CNBM group, has signed a contract for equipment delivery, contract supervision and employee training. The cost of the contract exceeds US$80 million (€59.75 million).

The ent

Germany-based Gebr Pfeiffer has secured an order from Wonder Cement of India for raw meal and coal mills.

The order is part of the cement producer's efforts to have its Tehsil Nimbahera cement works expanded.

The planning work for the grinding plants will be carried out by Gebr Pffeifer (India), and the new 8,500tonnes/day kiln line at the plant will be supplied by the mills.

The MPS 5600 B features a 5600kW drive. It has a raw meal capacity of 605thp as well as a fineness of 1.5% residue.

The annual capacity of Nigeria's cement industry has potential to reach 58.5 million tonnes if all cement producers confirm their expansion plans.
Ashaka Cement is planning to invest over NGN 100 billion (€460.88 million/US$617.1 million) to build a 2.5 million tonnes/year cement plant; build a coal-fired power plant and upgrade an existing cement facility to 1.5 million tonnes/year.
United Cement Company of Nigeria will invest NGN 84 billion to double cement capacity from 2.5 million tonnes to 5 million

Haver Technologies (Tianjin)/HTT in China, part of the Haver & Boecker group, says that it now offers a full product range after moving to its new location.

The Chinese subsidiary links all the group’s technologies and is entering markets as a total systems supplier with increased strength, with the objective of providing tailored machines and solutions to suit the customers’ needs and to significantly broaden the product range.

In addition to the final assembly of packing machines for solid bulk mate

Development of a solar farm at Ketton cement works in County Rutland, England, is just one of the major initiatives highlighted in Hanson UK’s 2014 performance and sustainability report.
The report covers five over-arching themes for the calendar year 2013: people; carbon; water and biodiversity; waste and raw materials and systems, and sets out the company’s 2020 targets for each of these areas.
Investment in the 8 megawatt solar farm at Ketton is part of Hanson’s action plan to increase the use of ren

International building materials group, CRH has issued its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2014.
The key points show that sales revenue increased by 4%; up 7% in Europe and up 1% in the Americas (like-for-like sales up 5%) while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was 27% ahead of first-half 2013 reflecting strong operating leverage, and in line with annual meeting guidance.
The portfolio review is progressing and a multi-year divestment programme of abo

In Indonesia Industrial Ministry is reported as saying that demand for cement in 2014 will be around 60 million-70 million tonnes.

Sales of cement in July 2014 were at 3.76 million tonnes, 25% lower than the 5 million tons sold in July 2013.

Sales in Java dropped by 28% to 2.08million tonnes, but it still accounted for 55% of total sales in July 2014.

Cement demand from Kalimantan dropped by 29% to 273,46 tonnes; sales in Sulawesi dropped by 12.3% to 289,124 tonnes while sales in Sumatra dropped 26