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Lafarge Group has launched a new cement plant with a capacity of 2 millon tonnes/year in the Kaluga region (Central Federal District). Investments are estimated at €500 million, and the cement plant will use dry process technology.

In 2013, Eurocement-Ukraine, a unit of Russia's Eurocement Group, produced 1.41 million tonnes of cement worth UAH 959.27 million (€59.57 million), down 6.9% and 11.1% on 2012, respectively. Sales amounted to 1.44 million tonnes (-3.2%) or UAH 982.58 million (-12.7%). Its products were sold on the domestic market, no exports were made.

According to All Pakistan Marble Mining Processing Industry and Exporters Association chairman Sanaullah Khan, marble exports totalled US$70 million (€51 million) from July 2013 to April 2014, a 45% year-on-year increase.

China accounted for half of this amount, primarily semi-finished products, while other major importers include the USA, Europe, Middle East, Japan and South-east Asia.

Over 90% of the exported marble originated from Balochistan province and the nearby city of Karachi.

Khan stated

CEMEX announced today that its board of directors, by unanimous decision, has appointed Rogelio Zambrano as chairman of the board of directors and Fernando A. Gonzalez as chief executive officer, effective immediately.

This follows the death of Lorenzo H. Zambrano, who was chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of CEMEX.

Weir Minerals has launched the WEMCO extra-heavy-duty vortex pumps range across Europe, following its success in the French market.

The WEMCO range, which is designed to handle large and abrasive solids and corrosive fluids, has been manufactured and sold in France for 60 years. It now complements the Weir Minerals’ WARMAN range of slurry pumps across the rest of Europe.

WEMCO pumps use vortex technology, with a recessed impeller that allows pipe-sized solids to pass easily, reducing abrasion and mini

Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria, local unit of French building materials maker Lafarge, posted a net profit of NGN 8.10 bllion (€36.8 million) in the first quarter of 2014, a 34% increase from the year-ago period, on a revenue growth of 16% to NGN 27 billion and a 15% climb in operating income to NGN 9.39 billion. Sales costs rose 17% to NGN 15.5 billion while administrative and distribution expenses were up 22% to NGN 2.3 billion.

Managing director and CEO Joe Hudson said the positive results were a produc

The Kwanza Sul Cement Plant (FCKS) costing around US$600 million (€432.5 million) in Angola has started operation and it will have daily cement capacity of 4,500tonnes and clinker output of 4,200tonnes/day.

Samsung Corporation of South Korea funded the plant's construction that took four years and six months to be completed. The plant is located in a region that has enough limestone, clay and other materials to make cement for next 100 years.

According to a study of Informa D&B the sales of Portuguese cement in foreign markets surpassed the €133 million in 2013 and Algeria is the main exporting market.

Following the crisis that is affecting the Portuguese construction sector many cement companies have been relying on foreign markets to consolidate their business performance.

The exports of cement in 2013 rose by 30% compared to the previous year. The imports in turn fell to €18 million and compares to €16 million recorded in 2012 and €21 m

Onne van der Weijde, area manager for India and member of Holcim senior management is leaving Holcim effective 1 June, 2014. Member of the Holcim executive committee Bernard Terver, responsible for the Indian sub-continent, takes over direct responsibility for the country.

Holcim thanks Onne van der Weijde for his contributions to the success of the group, especially in India, and wishes him all the best for his future endeavours.

Lafarge Cement Zambia is reported to be planning to double its cement production capacity in Zambia by 2017. Construction of a new production line is expected to start next year.

Lafarge’s CEO, Emmanuel Rigaux said that the company would be adding another production line to its Chilanga operation, doubling daily product output to between 4,000-5,000tonnes/day.

Last month, the government raised US$1billion through the sale of a second Eurobond to partly fund infrastructure projects.

LiuGong has opened its Hong Kong subsidiary when Mr Wang Xiaohua, chairman of LiuGong Group; Mr Zeng Guang’an, chairman of LiuGong Machinery and president of LiuGong Group and other top management as well as LiuGong business partners, attended the opening ceremony.

The company says the establishment of Hong Kong subsidiary will improve LiuGong’s expansion in overseas markets and help with long-term stable growth. It is also an important step for LiuGong to optimise overseas capital management, achieving

CEMEX has announced that Lorenzo H. Zambrano, chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of CEMEX, has died aged 70 in the city of Madrid, Spain.

He joined CEMEX in 1968 and held several positions in the company prior to his appointment as director of operations in 1981. A member of CEMEX’s board of directors since 1979, in 1985 he was appointed as CEO and in 1995 he was elected chairman of the board of directors.

In addition, Mr Zambrano was a member of the board of directors of C

Terex Washing Systems (TWS) has launched a dedicated Centre of Excellence in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

The company says that following the appointment of a regional sales and distributor manager in North America last year and the official launch of the AggreSand 165, demand and enquiries for TWS equipment has reached “unprecedented levels.”

To facilitate this growth and ensure a full and dedicated line of support for the TWS distributor network and customers, TWS will now support all machines sales,

Cleaners from Martin Engineering, engineered specifically for rock/aggregate applications, are said to be helping a company reduce costs and improve safety.

The series of innovative conveyor belt cleaners help eliminate carryback and the problems it causes. Service crews spend up to two hours/day shovelling and washing down accumulation from beneath the conveyors and by minimising the need for staff to work close to fast-moving belts, the cleaners help diminish the chance of accidents or injury.

Inste

As part of its long-term business commitment within Europe, Japanese manufacturer Kobelco Construction Machinery has introduced three new excavators to market. The new Japanese-built SK260LC-9, SK350LC-9 and SK500LC-9 are the second wave of machines released this year by Kobelco Construction Machinery Europe (KCME) and further extends its range of specialist earthmoving and construction excavators.

The SK260LC-9, SK350LC-9 and SK500LC-9 models are said to boast high performance and state-of-the-art effic

At the Saint-Pierre-la-Cour site of French cement group Lafarge, everything is done locally from raw materials to employment and sales, according to site director Gilles Benvenist.

The site, which is the largest of Lafarge's nine in France and produces 1.6 million tonnes of cement/year, benefits from the presence of iron, alumina, limestone and silica at the nearby quarry.

The cement produced at the site is sold to large building and public works companies in the west of France.

Cemex Latam Holdings (CLH) is to invest US$55 million (€39.64 million) to develop a cement plant in Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua, that will raise its cement production capacity in the country by 104%, reaching 860,000 tonnes in 2017.

A first phase, costing $30 million, will increase cement production capacity by 220,000tonnes and it should be completed in mid-2015, while a second stage, costing $25 million will raise production by an additional 220,000 tonnes.

The latter will be finished at the end of 20

Siam Cement Group (SCG) of Thailand is looking to set up a cement production facility in the province of Khammuan, Laos to meet demand from the Lao market that has increased to about 3.5 million tonnes annually.

The company has started a feasibility study for the project and is expected to spend at least THB 10 billion (€223.19 million/US$309.60 million) on the new facility.

The factory will be able to produce some 1.8 million tonnes of cement annually and is due to be commissioned from 2017.

Dangote Cement plans to start operations in Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Zambia in 2014, says Chief Executive Officer Devakumar Edwin

Dangote has a production capacity of 20.3 million tonnes/year in Nigeria and intends to add 9 million tonnes/year to production in thatcountry by the end of 2014.

Edwin says that Dangote is reviewing its operations in Kenya in light of the discovery of limestone deposits in the country, and plans to increase the capacity of its proposed plant in Kenya from 1.5 million ton

The global demand for graphite has led to the reopening of the first operational graphite mine in Australia for 25 years, with two more set to follow.

The mines are located on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, 30km from the main town of Port Lincoln.

A booming world graphite ore price, a slump in Chinese production and the recent discovery of new-age material graphene, has made this common mineral extremely popular and profitable.