Quarry Products

Philippines-based Northern Cement Corp (NCC) has started the US$200 million expansion of its Pangasinan plant, as part of an aggressive plan by San Miguel Corp (SMC) to increase its cement capacity.

SMC is working on a cement expansion drive worth $1 billion to expand its capacity by 10 million tonnes to 16 million tonnes, according to Ramon S Ang, president of NCC. NCC’s Pangasinan plant expansion will increase its cement capacity to over 2 million tonnes/year. The company has bought the newest manufact

LafargeHolcim is implementing a new three-year strategy in Poland.

In line with it, the company will not only sell cement, concrete and aggregate but will also offer its clients a range of services including logistics, design and consulting services, among others.

If the strategy proves to be successful it will be implemented in other countries where LafargeHolcim is present.

Because the company will be focused on the new strategy, it is said it is not planning any major acquisitions in Poland apar

Construction of the Hodna Cement Company, a cement factory currently being built in Dehahna (M'sila) in Algeria, is expected to be finished in October 2016.

The factory will produce 2.2 million tonnes of cement/year and requires an investment of DZD 28 billion (€233.85 million/US$265.15 million) which will be financed by banks and the project's two partners, including a private Algerian operator and a South African group.

The factory should create 400 direct jobs and 3,600 indirect jobs.

Almost QAR 800 million (€193.73 million/US$219.66 million) will be invested by Alkhalij Cement Company on a new production line in Qatar.

The new line will increase clinker output by two-fold to 4 million tonnes and boost cement production by 50% to 4.5 million tonnes.

By the first quarter of 2016 it will begin operations.

Alkhalij Cement Company is part of the Qatari Investors Group.

At the beginning of 2016, several Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for wind power will come into force for Swiss building supplies group Holcim (LafargeHolcim).

The aim is to control the energy bill of the group's activities as part of a production cost optimisation strategy.

The group aims to cover 20%-25% of its energy requirements through green sources over the next three years, compared to 15% at present.

Pakistan-based Dera Ghazi Khan Cement (DG Khan Cement) has recorded an 11% rise in its net profit in the April to June quarter of 2015 from PKR 2.02 billion (€17.06 million/US$19.35 million) in the same quarter in 2014, to PKR 2.25 billion.

The cement maker has registered an increase in its earnings per share in the quarter under review from PKR 4.61 previously, to PKR 5.14.

During the first eight months of 2015, Semen Baturaja has reported sales volume of 922,408tonnes, up from 714,863tonnes.

Net sales were at IDR 880.1 billion (€54.22 million/US$61.25 million), a year-on-year growth of 29%.

According to Citi Research, cement sales in Indonesia were estimated to have risen by 15%/year in August 2015, representing the first rise since January 2015.

With more robust sales, Semen Indonesia, the biggest cement manufacturer in the country, was able to boost its shares by over 30% after facing a six-year low in August 2015.

Meanwhile, so far in 2015, Adhi Karya has secured construction deals worth IDR 7.80tn (€479.89 million/US$544.12 million) and has started to work on a light rail transit pro