BRASIL: Brasil pede restrições compra Cimpor pela Camargo e Votorantim

A Secretaria de Acompanhamento Económico (SEAE) do Ministério da Fazenda no Brasil pediu à autoridade de defesa da concorrência a adopção de restrições à compra da Cimpor pela Camargo Corrêa e pela Votorantim.

Num parecer a ser enviado ao Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Económica (CADE), responsável pelo julgamento final da operação, ainda sem data definida, a SEAE sugere que a Camargo e a Votorantim vendam fábricas no Brasil para manter as participações na Cimpor.

"No entendimento da secretaria, Votorantim e Camargo Corrêa poderão manter as suas participações na Cimpor, desde que limitadas aos mercados internacionais", afirmou a SAE num comunicado.

Em Fevereiro de 2010, Camargo Corrêa comprou 31,8% da cimenteira portuguesa e a Votorantim adquiriu outros 21,2%.

As aquisições decorreram dois meses após a também brasileira CSN oferecer 5,53 mil milhões de dólares pela Cimpor, oferta que foi recusada pelos então controladores da cimenteira portuguesa.

As entidades brasileiras de defesa da concorrência suspeitaram que a Camargo e a Votorantim tinham feito as aquisições com o objectivo de impedir o avanço da CSN no mercado de cimento. 

No parecer divulgado segunda-feira, a SEAE considera preocupante a concentração resultante da operação em pelo menos 14 estados brasileiros.

Nesses estados, nomeadamente na região Nordeste do Brasil, a Votorantim e a Camargo Corrêa detêm mais de 20% do mercado de cimento.

"Em relação ao mercado de cimento, a SEAE constatou que as operações dificultam a entrada de novas empresas", referiu o parecer.

Uma outra solução para o caso, se a Votorantim e a Camargo não aceitarem vender activos no Brasil, seria a adopção de medidas de carácter societário que preservem a independência das três empresas no Brasil.

"Alternativamente, admite-se a adopção de medida de carácter societário que possibilite preservar a independência efectiva entre os agentes económicos envolvidos na operação, sobretudo no mercado doméstico", diz o parecer. 

Actualmente, a Votorantim detém 40% do mercado brasileiro de cimento, enquanto Cimpor e Camargo Corrêa mantêm uma participação de 9% cada.

COLOMBIA: Sector empresarial registró ganancias por $917.000 millones

El auge de los últimos años del sector de la construcción en Colombia ha contribuido a que empresas como Cementos Argos consoliden millonarias utilidades.Bogotá, Colprensa

Según la información publicada por la empresa en la Superintendencia Financiera, al cierre del año pasado las ganancias se situaron en 288 mil 878 millones de pesos, unos 79 mil millones de pesos más que los registrados en el 2009.

Proyectos como el suministro de cemento para la ampliación del Canal de Panamá y la colocación de papeles comerciales en el mercado de valores son una muestra concreta de que su operación el año pasado fue exitosa.

La cementera pondrá próximamente a consideración de la asamblea de accionistas el pago de dividendos por 152 mil 20 millones de pesos , los cuales serán cancelados en efectivos en cuatro cuotas trimestrales de 33 pesos por acción a partir de abril.

Por su parte, planea disponer de 142 mil 991 millones de pesos como reserva para futuros ensanches e inversiones.

Entre los movimientos importantes del año pasado en la compañía, presidida por José Alberto Vélez, y que pudieron influir en el resultado, se destaca la venta de su filial Flota Fluvial Carbonera y de la ejecución de proyectos en los Estados Unidos. 

Pero la construcción no solo incentivó los buenos balances de las organizaciones locales, pues la perspectiva favorable del sector minero energético permitió que la Compañía Colombiana de Inversiones consolidara en el 2010 utilidades por 258 mil 491 millones de pesos. No obstante, este dato es muy inferior al del periodo anterior, cuando logró ganancias superiores a un billón de pesos.

Según el proyecto de distribución de utilidades que se presentará a los accionistas, se dispondrá de dos mil 500 millones de pesos para una donación a la Fundación Colinversiones y 58 mil 718 millones de pesos para el pago de dividendos a los propietarios de 81.60 pesos anuales por acción, sobre un total de 719 millones 584 mil 500 papeles.

Los balances que se destacan

Un caso muy distinto es el de Supertiendas y Droguerías Olímpica, que consolidó utilidades en el 2010 por 74 mil 251 millones de pesos, cifra superior en 11 mil 491 millones de pesos a la del periodo anterior.

La propuesta que le presentará la organización a la asamblea de accionistas incluye destinar 37 mil 363 millones de pesos para la reposición de equipos y 36 mil 887 millones de pesos para el pago de dividendos por 188 pesos por acción sobre 196 millones 211 mil 957 papeles.

El pago a los accionistas se hará en efectivo y el monto se dividirá en cuotas de 20.89 pesos por título a partir de abril y hasta diciembre de este año.

Cartón de Colombia, por su parte, registró ganancias netas por 49 mil 992 millones de pesos, dato que si se compara con el de 2009, es superior en más de 23 mil 300 millones de pesos.

Estas utilidades se distribuirán, si así lo decide la asamblea de accionistas, en reservas para la ampliación y reposición de instalaciones industriales por 32 mil millones de pesos, y el pago de un dividendo ordinario por 35 mil siete millones de pesos, dinero que se cancelará los próximos abril, mayo, agosto y noviembre en cuotas de 81.25 pesos por papel.

UTILIDADES DE LAS MÁS PEQUEÑAS

Las compañías pequeñas también reportaron utilidades Una de ellas fue Inversiones, Equipos y Servicios Inesa, que consolidó en 2010 utilidades por mil 216 millones de pesos, unos 124 millones de pesos menos que en 2009. No obstante, la Compañía Agrícola San Felipe logró incrementar las ganancias, las cuales pasaron de 740 millones de pesos en el periodo anterior a mil 212 millones de pesos en el 2010. Según la empresa, el total de estos dineros se destinará al pago de dividendos a los accionistas de 20.20 pesos por papel suscrito y pagado, pagadero en una sola cuota en el mes de abril. Finalmente, la firma Aguachal reportó utilidades por mil 89 millones de pesos, dato superior en 411 millones a las registradas en el 2009.

BOLIVIA: Grupo mexicano quiere $us 93 millones por sus acciones de Fancesa

El grupo mexicano Chihuahua anunció hoy que espera del Gobierno de Evo Morales una compensación de 93 millones de dólares por la expropiación de sus acciones en una fábrica de cemento situada en el sur de Bolivia.

El gerente de Planeación del Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua, Jaime Fernández, dijo a Efe que el monto fue definido por la firma chilena Celfin Capital, contratada para tener "una opinión independiente del valor" de sus acciones, el 33 por ciento de la empresa Fancesa, al margen del estudio encargado por el Gobierno de Morales.

"Llegamos a la cantidad de 280 millones de dólares, que es el valor comercial estimado de Fancesa. Lo que correspondería por el paquete que el Gobierno recuperó (...) es una tercera parte, que equivale a unos 93 millones de dólares", señaló.

Morales expropió en septiembre de 2010 las acciones de los mexicanos y de sus socios bolivianos en Fancesa con el argumento de que la compra de ese paquete accionarial en 1999 fue irregular, lo cual niegan los afectados.

Fernández llegó a La Paz esta semana porque el próximo lunes concluye el plazo fijado en el decreto de expropiación para la conciliación y el pago.

Indicó que aguardan a conocer los resultados del estudio oficial y ratificó que el Gobierno mexicano está al tanto del proceso y espera "que termine en un pago justo y a tiempo".

Fernández justificó lo reclamado porque entre 1999 y 2009, Fancesa triplicó sus empleos, duplicó su producción, multiplicó por tres sus ingresos y por cinco su utilidad neta.

Expresó confianza en que habrá "un fin adecuado del proceso", pues la consultora chilena usó el mismo método requerido por el Gobierno boliviano para contratar a la empresa nacional que realiza el mismo cálculo.

AFRICA: EGYPT: Torah Cement 2010 profit rises

Egypt's Torah Cement's (TORA.CA) 2010 net profit rose 29.6 percent, the stock exchange said on Thursday.

Net profit rose to 443 million Egyptian pounds ($75.2 million) from 341.7 million pounds in 2009.

Torah is a subsidiary of Egypt's largest listed cement maker, Suez Cement (SUCE.CA), whose 2010 net profit declined 4.9 percent. [ID:nWEB1472]

Suez, a subsidiary of Italcementi (ITAI.MI), holds approximately 26 percent of Egypt's market share for grey cement and 42 percent for white cement.

MEXICO: Ambitious Cemex still struggling with debt

Stockholders in Cemex, the world's No. 3 cement maker, are likely to approve a $2 billion share issue on Thursday even though it will dilute their investments as the company pushes to pay debt and avoid fines. [nN24181768]

Here are some facts about Cemex and its CEO.

* Operating in more than 50 countries, Cemex has an annual production capacity of close to 97 million metric tonnes of cement and $44 billion in assets. But the global economic crisis slashed Cemex's net sales to $14.5 billion in 2009, down from $20.1 billion in 2008, the latest data available.

* Monterrey-based Cemex opened its first plant in a poor northern Mexican town in 1906, and for decades was a small cement maker. In the mid-1980s, Chief Executive Lorenzo Zambrano, who Cemex employees refer to as "The Engineer," took over the company with $300 million in annual revenue.

* Under Zambrano, whose grandfather helped found the company a century ago, Cemex has bought more than 20 companies, building a business empire over the past two decades that stretches across the globe.

* Zambrano, a Stanford University graduate, is credited with being one of the first businessmen in Latin America to foresee globalization. He usedMexico's falling trade barriers to enact his philosophy of "buy or be bought."

* But Cemex's purchase of Australian cement company Rinker in July 2007 for $16 billion, nearly proved to be a step too far, pushing the company perilously close to default. One of the biggest-ever purchases by an emerging markets company, Cemex bought Rinker with bank debt just as the U.S. housing market crisis broke.

* Cemex won a reprieve in August 2009 after it convinced bankers to refinance $15 billion in debt until February 2014. But the long-awaited recovery in European and U.S. cement volumes is still illusive and Cemex has been forced to constantly juggle its debt to avoid a payment crunch.

* Since the Rinker purchase, Cemex's shares have underperformed its peers France's Lafarge (LAFP.PA) and Switzerland's Holcim (HOLN.VX), falling 74 percent compared with July 16, 2007, when the company clinched the Rinker deal.

JAMAICA: Carib Cement to address concerns of Bull Bay residents

The Caribbean Cement Company has moved to address the concerns of residents of Eleven Miles, Bull Bay, St. Thomas who mounted a protest this morning. 

The residents took to the streets to demonstrate against a dust nuisance and damage to roads in their community caused by the operations of the company. 

They say the problem has persisted for some time and this morning more than 20 residents protested along the Cambridge Hill main road, in the vicinity of a site where Carib Cement hauls aggregate. 

Carib Cement says it has since contacted a haulage contractor who will undertake wetting of the roadway so as to reduce the dust nuisance. 

Also, the company says it will be holding discussions with the National Works Agency to have the road fixed. 

It says in the interim Carib Cement in association with the haulage contractors will assist with patching. 

And the company has also agreed to formalize monthly meetings with residents of Eleven Miles to discuss issues and find solutions.

SRI LANKA: Cement firm reveals losses

Lanka Cement, a state owned firm with a defunct factory in northern Sri Lanka, has revealed heavy losses and plans to revive production in its latest accounts which the auditors have refused to give an opinion on.

According to a stock exchange filing the firm made a loss of LKR 9.9 million in the nine months ending September 30th 2010 compared with a profit of 18 million the previous year. Sales fell to LKR 159 million from almost LKR 500 million the year before.

According to unaudited accounts filed with the stock exchange, the firm made a loss of LKR 3.4 million for the September 2010 quarter against a loss of LKR 2.5 million the previous year with sales falling to 50 million rupees from LKR 123 million.

The Colombo Stock Exchange moved Lanka Cement out of the bourse's default board, where it had been for not presenting accounts, after it submitted financial statements for the March, June and September quarters of 2010.

Lanka Cement has accumulated losses of LKR 1.7 billion according to its annual report for the year ending December 31st 2009, the latest available, which auditors KPMG Ford Rhodes Thornton & Co said raise doubt that the company will be able to continue as a going concern.

The auditors have refused to give an opinion on the accounts for the year ending December 31st 2009 and have also drawn attention to their inability to verify several transactions in the accounts.

Lanka Cement shares have seen bouts of heavy trading from time to time owing to interest by foreign cement firms in reviving a defunct cement plant sitting on a rich deposit of limestone in northern Jaffna.

With the end of the island's 30 year ethnic war in 2009, demand for cement is recovering, especially in rebuilding in the war-torn north and east, along with construction elsewhere as economic growth accelerates.

KPMG Ford Rhodes Thornton & Co noted that Lanka Cement's net assets are less than half of its stated capital and that it faces a serious loss of capital.

The auditors said they were unable to verify property, plant and equipment with a carrying value of LKR 859 million as at December 31st 2009 and that they were unable to verify the existence, completeness and accuracy of local cement purchases amounting to LKR 186 million.

They also said they were unable to verify the completeness and accuracy of sales in northern Jaffna worth LKR 313 million due to improper documentation.

KPMG Ford Rhodes Thornton & Co said that "We were unable to verify the accuracy and completeness of the recording cash receipt and the cash payments since the company doesn’t maintain proper double entry system of accounting / control accounts and reconciliations when recording cash receipt and the cash payments."

They also said they were unable to verify the existence of a long term loan payable to the main shareholder Sri Lanka Cement Corporation amounting to LKR 757 million due to lack of documentation and that they were unable to assess the appropriateness of the classification of the loan as non-current liability.

Lanka Cement has said it intends setting up a packing and grinding plant at Kankesanthurai in Jaffna to increase profitability in the near future.

AFRICA: TANZANIA: Power crisis is cement firm’s biggest concern this year

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Portland Cement is concerned that its sales targets might not be met this year because of the power crisis.

Speaking this week in the city at the ceremony to award outstanding distributors, TPCC managing director Lesoinne Pascal said 2010 was a very successful year for TPCC as the firm managed to achieve its sales target, but the power shortage that started at the end of last year would derail the firm’s targets this year.

“If immediate measures are not taken by the government to resolve the current power crisis, development of this country will be hindered since we will not be able to produce cement according to our plans,” he said.

MEXICO: Cemex fined, to cut emissions

Cemex, Inc. agreed to pay a $1.4 million fine for Clean Air Act violations at its cement plant off of Dayton-Yellow Springs Road in Fairborn in a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Justice Department last week.

In addition to the penalty, Cemex will spend $2 million on emission control equipment that will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, resulting in fewer particulates and ozone in Yellow Springs and Miami Township, which are downwind of the plant.

“What this means is much cleaner air for the community at large to breathe,” said Dawn Falleur of the Green Environmental Coalition, which has been pushing for stricter pollution controls at the plant for 20 years. “It really will make a big difference in not only what we breathe but what settles into our town and our farmland.”

The settlement came after Cemex modified its plant without obtaining the proper permit from the U.S. EPA. Dayton’s Regional Air Pollution Control Agency notified Cemex and the U.S. EPA of this likely violation in 2005 when its inspectors found that a newly-installed fan increased production and emissions from the plant, according to the agency’s director, John Paul.

Falleur said that the Green Environmental Coalition learned of the plant modifications independently, when they were tipped off about an increase in fuel being stored at the site — information they provided to Paul’s agency.

Of the $1.4 million penalty, $467,600 will be split between the Dayton Regional Air Pollution Agency and the Ohio EPA. Twenty percent of the Ohio EPA’s share will be used for its Clean Diesel School Bus Program Fund. In Dayton, the unrestricted funds will likely be used for more pollution monitoring in neighborhoods and clean-up activities, according to Paul.

“In the Dayton area, [Cemex] is probably in the top five along with Cargill, Dayton Power and Light and the air force base in terms of sulfur dioxide emissions and nitrogen oxide emissions, so these reductions will be significant,” Paul said.

Sulfur dioxide, which contributes to fine particulates, will be reduced by about 2,300 tons per year and sulfur dioxide, which can form ozone, will be cut by approximately 288 tons. Both are known contributors to asthma, acid rain and smog, according to the U.S. EPA.

Cemex, based in Houston, is one of the top cement manufacturers in the country, providing cement and concrete products for building construction. They own and operate 14 Portland Cement kiln plants in the U.S.

The Cemex plant has been a target of the Green Environmental Coalition since 1990, when the local environmental group contended that hazardous waste was being illegally stored on site. In 1994 the coalition won a $100,000 settlement from Cemex and a ruling from the state that the waste be permanently removed. Then, in 2008, the coalition successfully delayed Cemex from burning tires in their kiln, which the company eventually decided to forego due to changes in the economy, Falleur said.

“It’s always a good thing to have citizens groups that are watching things,” said Paul of Green Environmental Coalition’s participation in efforts to monitor Cemex. “Public involvement raises questions and helps us really pursue emissions reductions and make sure that it happens.”

PAKISTAN: UAE group keen in rice, building material

Karachi—M/s Faisal Ali Mousa (FAM) Holding of UAE is keen to purchase rice and building materials including cement, marbles and granite, tiles and sanitary-ware in large quantity from Pakistan.

This was stated by Chairman FAM Holding, Dr. Faisal Ali Mousa, a conglomerate in United Arab Emirates while addressing a press conference along with his representative in Pakistan Asad Sajjad here Thursday evening.

He said that his construction company, an arm of FAM Holding, immediately needs cement in large quantity besides tiles, marbles and granite, wood and wood material and sanitary-ware for construction activities in the Middle East and Gulf region.

“We imported merchandises worth dirhams 3.5 billion ($ 1 billion) during last year. We are currently engaged in several construction activities including expansion of Doha Airport, a five- star hotel in Iraq and other big projects in the region. Our company has recently completed the construction of metro rail service in Dubai,” he added. Dr. Mousa, a PhD in business management from Oxford College, said that his trading company also wanted to import rice from Pakistan. We have a target to import rice worth $ 200 million this year and we would like to buy this staple food from Pakistan.

However, he said that his company would need at least two to three large dedicated rice mills to meet this order. We are currently importing rice from India and now we want to buy rice from Pakistan, he noted.

He said the purpose of his visit is to explore possibilities of importing rice and construction materials from Pakistan and holding meetings with prospective suppliers of rice, construction materials, besides meeting officials. The second purpose is to invite leading Pakistani rice exporters to attend RICE exhibition 2011. Dr. Mousa said that one of his companies Al Rowad Foodstuff Trading is also organising a dedicated fair, Rice International Conference and Exhibition (RICE) in Dubai from May 9 to 11, 2011.

TURKEY: Turkish highway builder on the road to public offering

Limak, a Turkish construction and energy group, is preparing to apply to the Capital Markets Board in March to sell shares at Limak Investment through an initial public offering, according to the group’s chairman.

The holding plans to offer nearly 35 percent of the shares of Limak Investment, a branch active in energy production and construction businesses.

The branch has 17 firms operating in energy generation and distribution in Turkey and Georgia, construction projects in many countries including the main international airport in Pristine and highway contracts in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Macedonia, said Chairman Nihat Özdemir at a meeting in Istanbul on Thursday.

Based in Ankara, Limak hired Unicredit and İş Investment to manage the public offering process.

The company also holds 40 percent of shares at Istansbul’s Sabiha Gökçen International Airport along with nine hydroelectric plants in Turkey and four more in Georgia, which generate some 1,000 megawatts of electricity in total.

One geothermal plant in southwestern province of Denizli is also included in Limak Investment’s current portfolio.

The group holds licenses for operating the power grids in the central province of Yozgat and the northwestern province of Bursa and posted 2.2 billion Turkish Liras in revenue at the end of last year.

Limak plans to increase its energy investments, especially after the country’s general elections due June 12, Özdemir told journalists at the meeting. “We will invest more in the electricity distribution businesses to be privatized,” he said, forecasting that the government tends to boost privatizations after elections.

Nearly 80 percent of the shares will be allocated to international corporate investors, according Özdemir.

Limak also won a bid for the 36-year operational rights to the large international port in İskenderun, a Mediterranean district in the southern province of Hatay, last year, investing $372 million. “İskenderun [port] carries great importance for the group and we will make it bigger than the Mersin airport,” he said.

Limak is among the prominent cement companies in Turkey. “We have a cement firm investment for $100 million in southeast province of Şanlıurfa and increased its capacity by 120 percent as we target Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq and Syria”.

The group currently has five cement plants in Siirt, Bitlis, Şanlıurfa, Gaziantep and Diyarbakır, all southern provinces.

Commenting on the company’s future plans, the chairman said Limak is interested in opportunities in nearby emerging markets such as the Balkans, Caspian region and the Middle East.

North African retreat

Recent unrest in North African countries has affected the group’s plans for some investments, according to a board member.

“We were just about to participate in a tender for four highway contracts valued around $150 million in Libya and Cairo and airport construction and operation – valued at approximately $300 million – in Egypt, but we have postponed these plans for today,” Serdar Bacaksız, a board chairman at Limak Investment told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.

MEXICO: Mexico Cemex CEO Says Exchange Moves Have Favored Company

The chief executive of Mexican cement and building materials company Cemex SAB (CX, CEMEX.MX), Lorenzo Zambrano, said Thursday that foreign exchange market volatility has favored the company so far, particularly gains against the U.S. dollar by the euro and the Mexican peso.

At a press conference ahead of the company's annual shareholder meeting, Zambrano said that past experience has shown the company it can't predict exchange rates, even supported by analyst estimates.

Cemex cited uncertainty in some markets and exchange rate volatility when declining this year to estimate its earnings before interest taxes, depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda for 2011.

In 2010, Cemex reported Ebitda of $2.3 billion, after lowering its forecasts several times.

Zambrano acknowledged that the recovery in 2010 was slower than what the company had expected, but said that Cemex is poised as a more agile and efficient concern to benefit "disproportionately" from a pickup in construction in developed markets.

Zambrano considered that investors aren't taking that into account when evaluating the value of the company's shares. Financial markets aren't rational, and less in case of Cemex, he said.

Shareholders approved the issuance of shares equivalent to 200 million American Depositary Shares, with the idea of raising capital to pay down debt.

Zambrano said he has a "strong preference" for the capital increase to be carried out via convertible debt.

By paying down $2.3 billion in debt this year, Cemex will save an annual $200 million in interest payments, eliminating dilution by increasing cash flow per share, he said.

PARAGUAY: La INC reinicia su producción de clínker

La producción de clínker de la Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC) fue reiniciada el miércoles por la siesta, luego de la llegada de un cargamento de 750 metros cúbicos de fueloíl. No obstante, con esa cantidad de combustible el horno podrá trabajar por sólo cuatro días más. 

La producción de este insumo había sido suspendida el viernes pasado, debido a que se agotó el stock de fueloíl en la planta de Vallemí (Concepción) de INC, donde se encuentra el horno refractario. 

En un principio, las autoridades de la estatal decidieron no parar el horno y dejarlo en “etapa de calentamiento”, de modo a aguardar la llegada del combustible. Pero finalmente el sábado por la tarde se procedió al enfriamiento y posterior paralización, ya que el suministro no llegaría a tiempo.

Según explicaciones de los técnicos, si el horno trabaja a la normalidad, es decir produciendo 2.000 toneladas por día, los 750 metros cúbicos servirán para solo unos días más de trabajo. Por eso, las autoridades de la estatal decidieron trabajar a media marcha, para reducir el consumo del fueloíl y que el stock dure al menos unos días más (ayer, se estaba produciendo con una capacidad nominal de 1.100 Ton./día). 

Sucesivas paralizaciones 

En total, esta paralización duró cuatro días. Según nuestros archivos, el último paro se había extendido por ocho días, del cuatro al 13 de enero pasado. En esa ocasión, el motivo fue el recalentamiento del casco del horno, por desgaste de ladrillos refractarios. 

Las dos últimas paralizaciones por falta de fueloíl se habían tenido del 12 de julio al 12 agosto de 2010 (30 días) y luego del nueve al 19 de agosto del mismo año (10 días). 

Por falta de fueloíl, el horno ha registrado paros en 16 ocasiones durante la administración actual de INC, presidida por Optaciano Gómez, quien asumió el cargo el 17 de noviembre de 2008. Además, en cuatro ocasiones se suspendió la producción de clínker por recalentamiento del casco del horno y por daños en los refractarios de la torre intercambiadora. 

Vale decir que desde que Gómez llegó a la cementera estatal hasta la fecha se han tenido 20 paralizaciones, un promedio de 10 por año, cuando lo técnicamente recomendable es realizar sólo uno o dos paros anuales.

ITALIA: Italcementi sigla accordo per vendita parte attività Turchia

Il gruppo Italcementi, attraverso la subholding Ciments Français, ha raggiunto un accordo per la vendita a Limak Holding di Set Group Holding e delle sue controllate.

Lo dice una nota precisando che le parti hanno stipulato l'accordo sulla base di un valore complessivo di 290 milioni di euro, al lordo della posizione finanziaria e di cassa.

Limak Holding è un gruppo diversificato turco attivo nei settori della costruzione, delle infrastrutture, dell'energia, dei trasporti e del turismo.

Set Group Holding, che rappresenta una parte significativa dell'attuale sistema produttivo del gruppo Italcementi in Turchia, opera attraverso tre cementifici ad Ankara, Balikesir e Trakya (con una capacità nominale annua complessiva pari a 2,3 tonnellate di clinker), un terminale ad Ambarli (con una capacità annua di macinazione pari a 1,2 tonnellate di cemento) e 13 impianti di calcestruzzo. Nel 2010 Set Group Holding ha registrato ricavi per circa 130 milioni di euro, con un indebitamento netto al 31 dicembre 2010 di circa 17 milioni di euro.

L'accordo raggiunto non riguarda Afyon Çimento, società turca quotata di cui Ciments Français detiene la maggioranza. In futuro il gruppo Italcementi prenderà in esame le migliori opportunità industriali o finanziarie per la valorizzazione di questo asset, dice la nota.

Il closing della transazione è previsto entro il secondo trimestre 2011.

Sul sito www.reuters.it le altre notizie Reuters in italiano.

EUROPA: EU industry CO2 emissions edge up in

European Union industrial carbon emissions rose by up to 4 percent last year, analysts estimate, still far below 2008 levels and leaving the bloc on course to beat its 2020 climate target.

The EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) caps the emissions of about 12,600 installations, including power plants, factories and oil refiners, and the European Commission publishes emissions data in April of each year.

Analysts already estimate, based on industrial output data, that emissions rose last year by 2-4 percent, compared with a drop of nearly 12 percent in 2009.

"It was a mixed year with some industrial output going up, others down, and not a huge improvement in power demand across the bloc as a whole," said Barclays Capital analyst Trevor Sikorski, who estimated carbon emissions were up 4 percent.

Carbon analyst Matteo Mazzoni at Italy's Nomisma Energia estimated the rise at 2.7 percent. IdeaCarbon analyst Alessandro Vitelli estimated a rise of 2-4 percent.

The scheme accounts for about 40 percent of total EU greenhouse gas emissions.

The European Commission, which oversees the scheme, is under pressure to trim a glut of emissions permits, and has already limited how far polluters can offset their emissions by buying carbon credits from outside the EU from 2013.

The EU as a whole is split on whether to adopt a tougher target to cut total greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Some governments want a 30 percent cut, more than the present 20 percent goal, fearing the bloc is slipping behind in a global clean technology race.

Total EU greenhouse gas emissions were about 4.6 billion metric tons in 2009, says the European Environment Agency. If these rose in line with industry carbon last year, that would imply the bloc was about 300 million metric tons above its target of 4.5 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2020.

The EU will undercut that target, say EU climate officials, if the bloc meets renewable energy and efficiency goals.

CO2

EU ETS emissions rose last year, as power demand and broad industrial output rose, meaning businesses burned more fossil fuels to generate electricity and heat, said Sikorski.

In addition, higher gas prices encouraged power plants to burn more coal, which emits more carbon dioxide, he added.

Within that big picture there were some falls: Cement production was down in the first 11 months of the year, and so was oil refining.

Outside the emissions trading scheme, a slowdown in oil refining suggested that carbon emissions from transport may have fell, while two successive cold winters would have led homeowners to burn more gas and other fuel.

TURKEY: Ciments Français agrees to sell part of its activities in Turkey to Limak Holding

Ciments Francais has agreed to sell Set Group Holding and its subsidiaries for a total amount of 290 million euros (on a cash and debt-free basis) to Limak Holding, a diversified Turkish Group with investments in construction, infrastructure, cement, energy, transport and tourism.

Set Group Holding, which represents a significant part of the existing industrial network of Ciments Français in Turkey, operates three cement plants in Ankara, Balikesir and Trakya (for a total clinker capacity of 2.3 Mt/y), one grinding center in Ambarli (total cement capacity of 1.2 Mt/y) and 13 ready mix concrete facilities. As of 31 December 2010, Set Group Holding posted revenues of approximately 130 million euros and a net debt close to 17 million euros.

Afyon Çimento, a listed Turkish company majority-owned by Ciments Français is not included in the perimeter of the transaction. In the future, Ciments Français will examine the best industrial and financial opportunities for this asset.

The completion of the transaction with Limak Holding is subject to approval by the relevant Turkish authorities. The transaction is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2011. 

Mediobanca acted as financial adviser to Ciments Français on this transaction.

AFRICA: EGYPT: Egypt's Suez Cement 2010 profit falls 4.9 percent

Egypt's Suez Cement (SUCE.CA) (SUCEq.L) posted a 4.9 percent decline in 2010 net profit to 1.2 billion Egyptian pounds ($209.9 million), the stock exchange said on Thursday.

Suez Cement posted 1.3 billion pounds of net profit in 2009.

The firm, Egypt's largest listed cement maker by market value, is a subsidiary of Italcementi (ITAI.MI).

AFRICA: KENIA: Bamburi cement rugby love

Bamburi Cement on Thursday invested Sh11.7 million in this year’s Bamburi Super Series that is set for April 30 to June 4 across the region.

The cement manufacturer increased its sponsorship by Sh700,000 this year, most of it going to media advertisements and the event’s organisation and administration.

Precisely, media activation will gulp Sh5.5 million, Sh500,000 more than last year, while organisation and administration will get Sh1 million more from Sh2.2 million.

When battling for the Sh1 million prize money the eight franchises in the championship will don a Sh2 million playing kit which has a superior design after Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) shifted from Kooga to Volcano.

It will however uphold teams’ traditional colours. SuperSport, who have the exclusive rights for the event, will relay two matches live from outside Nairobi.

INDIA: Govt revives plan to sell 7 units of Cement Corporation

The government is actively pursuing its plan to put seven non-functional units of Cement Corporation of India on the block and invest the proceeds into the three financially viable units of the public sector cement producer. This is despite the recommendations of a Parliamentary Standing Committee that these units should be revived through joint ventures or leased out to private players. 

“Some of these units are located in prime locations in Delhi and Karnataka and private players had evinced interest in taking them over,” said an official with the ministry of heavy industries, adding that the sale of these seven units could fetch the government an estimated µ1,500 crore. The ministry is not too keen to attempt a revival of these units as experience has shown that revival of terminally sick units does not reap any benefit in the long run. 

The government had in 2008 planned to sell six units of Cement Corporation and had appointed IFCI Ltd as consultants for the sale. But the process was put on hold following opposition from political parties and trade unions. 

“SBI Caps had done the valuation of these units and put their combined value at Rs 800 crore,” the official said. Almost all the big players in the industry, including JK Cements, Ambuja Cements, Birla Cements, ACC Ltdand Lafarge, had shown interest in the proposed sale, he said. 

Many of these companies declined to comment when ET contacted them on Thursday. The official said the government would soon re-evaluate the seven units and come out with an expression of interest. 

“We have initiated the process and will try for outright sale of these non-operating plants,” he said. The heavy industries ministry is of the view that it would be better to sell these units and deploy a part of the proceeds in strengthening Cement Corporation’s functioning units. 

“Some part of the proceeds can also be utilised to pay off loans and towards strengthening human resources,” the official said. Cement Corporation, which has 1,037 employees on its rolls, has not recruited any staff since 1998. Heavy industries minister Praful Patel had recently called for a different approach towards sick public sector units. 

“Some disinvestment, some outright sale,” Patel had said, hinting at a change in the government’s divestment strategy. The ministry recently cleared a full stake sale in Scooters India and HMT Bearings.

AFRICA: MOROCCO: Lafarge H2 profit drops as revenue falls

Company sees demand recovery in 2011

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Lafarge Ciments (LAC.CS), the Moroccan affiliate of French cement maker Lafarge, posted a 17.6 percent drop in second-half profit after underperforming rivals in sales amid a slowdown in demand it expects to overcome this year.

The company reported a net profit of 726 million dirhams ($88.5 million) for the six months through December, down from 881 million dirhams a year earlier, based on Reuters calculations.

For all of 2010, it earned 1.68 billion dirhams, compared with 953 million dirhams during the first half of last year and 1.86 billion dirhams for all of 2009.

The company did not give performance indicators for the second half of 2010 alone.

Lafarge Ciments will give shareholders a 66 dirhams per share dividend for 2010. The stock ended 0.3 percent lower at 1,920 dirhams.

Revenue for 2010 fell 1.6 percent to 5.35 billion dirhams. After reporting a 1 percent drop in the first half's turnover to 2.79 billion dirhams, Lafarge Ciments' calculated revenue for the second half stands at 2.56 billion dirhams, or about 2 percent less than a year earlier.

"Our cement sales recorded a 4.7 percent decline in an almost-stable market (that added) 0.4 percent," said Lafarge Ciments, which blamed a drop in demand from its traditionally key market in the north of the country and the addition of rival capacity elsewhere.

Casablanca-based Lafarge Ciments is a listed subsidiary of Lafarge (LAFP.PA) and Moroccan partner SNI, in which the Moroccan royal family is a key shareholder.

The company and rivals such as Holcim Maroc HOL.CSi and Ciments du Maroc (SCM.CS) have grappled with a stagnant market since 2009, after years of growth fed by infrastructure upgrades, low-income housing projects and a tourism boom.

Lafarge Ciments expects this situation to change this year.

"The market behaviour indicates a relative recovery ... The continuing desire by the government to relaunch low-income housing, coupled with the start of some infrastructure projects ... lead us to expect a recovery in the growth of domestic demand in 2011," it said.

AFRICA: NIGERIA: Cement crisis will soon be a thing of the past

The perennial crisis in the cement sub-sector of the economy which ranges from scarcity to cut-throat prices may soon become a thing of the past if the words of the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, (CEMAN), Engr Joseph Makoju are to be relied upon. Makoju premised his optimism that the crisis in the industry will be over before the end of this year on the anticipated local cement production hitting over 20 million metric tons per annum.

Obajana cement plant in Kogi State

The CEMAN President also told journalists in Abuja last week that Nigeria will soon commence exportation of cement to ECOWAS countries from the surplus out of the national cement requirement which stood at 14.5 million metric tons last year.

Makoju who was at a time, the Managing Director of WAPCO Elephant Cement, said the cement industry is currently undergoing transformation with the coming of Aliko Dangote into cement manufacturing. According to him, with surplus capacity being anticipated, importation of cement into the country will be phased out this year.

Already, he said, Dangote cement, Obajana, Kogi State is producing five million metric tons per annum from two production lines with production capacity increasing to 10 million metric tons by next year when the third line of production currently under construction is completed. Dangote cement, Gboko, Benue State has production capacity of 2.5 million metric tons and this capacity is expected to hit 3 million metric tons per before the end of the year, while Lafarge WAPCO cement Ewekoro plant produces at 2.5 million metric tons capacity which put the current production of the two cement manufacturers at 15.5 million metric tons.

He noted that with the anticipated six million metric tons per annum production capacity of Dangote cement plant at Ibeshe, Ogun State expected to commence operation this year, Unicem, Port Harcourt and other cement plants across the country, importation of cement will be a bye gone in Nigeria forever.

Speaking in favour of Dangote who has been variously accused of trying to create a monoploy in the industry, Makoju said: “Nigeria used to be the biggest importer of cement, but that will be a thing of the past with the volume of cement being produced by cement manufacturers in the country. About 15 cement importers were given licenses by the federal government with the mandate to start cement manufacturing in the country. Dangote did not get special concession to do cement business. Apart from Lafarge and Unicem, others did not build plants. But this people will accuse Dangote of monopoly in cement business. These are importers who are not happy that Dangote cement plants are doing well.

He gave reasons for the scarcity of the product and its escalating cost, “On the artificial scarcity of the product and price hike, there are various factors responsible for this. There is distribution chain problem which does not allow the product to get to their destinations on time. Anticipation of importers is another factor responsible for the artificial scarcity. Again, activities of middlemen is one other reason the prices of the product go up. There is also the problem of transportation. It should equally be noted that dry season is peak period for demand for cement, which is also responsible for the artificial scarcity.

“However, this artificial scarcity is not peculiar with cement alone but with all major bulky goods like diesel and food stuffs. But to address these problems, Dangote is investing heavily on trucks. He has 3,000 trucks on cement alone. We try and transport cement to distributors wherever they are. We are opening depots all over across the country to assist distributors without inflating the depot prices.

“We have fuel problem at our Gboko plant, but we are on top of the problem. We also have a system of distribution known as self-collection by distributors to fasten product collection.

It was 70 per cent importation before the backward integration policy of the government. People used to wait for as long as six months before collecting their consignments. But this is not the case today”, the CEMAN boss who is Dangote special adviser on cement, explained.

The Managing Director of the 1.2 billion dollars Obajana plant, Mr.Jagat Rathee said during the facility of the expansive cement plant last week that the daily despatch of cement at the plant is 16,000 tons. Mr. Rathee who stated that five million tons per annum is the current production capacity from two production lines and it will hit 7.5 before the end of this year, said the plant’s production capacity will be 10 million tons in two and half years time.

The managing director who was amazed that there is cement scarcity in the country, said his company is selling between N1,300 to N1,400 per 50 kg bag. He however assured that the country will beself sufficient in cement by next year going by the three million tons Gboko plant production capacity coupled with anticipated production capacities of Ibeshe plant and other cement plants in Nigeria.

Also speaking during the facility tour, the Managing Director of Dangote cement, Gboko, Mr. Shree Junnukar said the current production capacity of the plant is three million tons per annum, pointing out that the company hopes to increase the capacity to four million tons per annum by next year by adding cement grinding to the materials used.

Mr. Junnakar who noted that the plant has six loading bases, stated that they currently load 10,000 tons daily to South East, Middle Belt and South-South. He is optimistic that Nigeria will be self sufficient in cement by next year with the volume of cement being produced by various cement plants across the country. He said his cement sells for between N1,300 and N1,400 per 50kg bag, arguing that there is no basis for selling a bag of cement for N2,000 as being experienced in some parts of the country now.

ESPAÑA: Cemex insiste en que la revalorización del plástico reduce el efecto invernadero

El consumo de 18.905 toneladas de residuo plástico en dos años por parte de la factoría ha evitado emisiones equivalentes a las que harían 5.100 coches en un año funcionando durante todo el día

VICTOR BALLESTEROS

Reducen las emisiones de efecto invernadero debido a su contenido de biomasa, ahorran combustibles fósiles, recuperan la energía de los residuos, reducen la necesidad de crear vertederos y el coste energético del país. Son sólo algunas de las ventajas que supone el uso de los combustibles alternos para la producción de cemento, según puso ayer de manifiesto el director de la planta de Cemex en Yepes, Carlos Moreno, en un encuentro con los medios para mostrar el proceso de creación de cemento, especialmente en lo relativo a la revalorización de materiales plásticos en los hornos de la factoría.

Una visita en la que se quiso incidir en que la revalorización de los elementos plásticos se efectúa en aquellos productos que de no incinerarse llegarían directamente a los vertederos, que son contaminantes al despedir gas metano, uno de los principales responsables del ‘efecto invernadero’, según puso de manifiesto Moreno, que destacó que Cemex está por encima de la media nacional en cuanto al uso de combustibles alternos al petróleo, aunque por debajo de otros países como Alemania, Reino Unido u Holanda, donde este porcentaje ronda el 100 por ciento.

Sin embargo, trató de dejar claro que esta revalorización energética de los plásticos no supone un aumento de las emisiones, no en vano la factoría de Yepes ha realizado una inversión en los últimos años de más de cuatro millones de euros, precisamente para reducir esas emisiones que, por otro lado, cuentan con un control contante por parte de la Administración, que puede conocer en todo momento qué se está emitiendo y en qué cantidades.

De hecho, en los últimos tres años -la autorización ambiental integrada para la incineración de plásticos se concedió en 2005-, el porcentaje de emisiones se ha reducido drásticamente, especialmente en óxido de azufre. Así, según los datos aportados por la empresa, del límite legal establecido en 132 gramos por tonelada de clinker -elemento principal del cemento- en emisiones de polvo, Cemex se situó el pasado año en 34; en óxido de nitrógeno la cifra es de 1.254 de los 3.297 permitidos; y en óxido de azufre se ha pasado en cuatro año de 829 a 42, lo que supone una reducción del 95 por ciento, de los 1.134 permitidos por la Administración.

La capacidad de la trituradora de plástico de la planta de Cemex, pionera en el país, como recordó Moreno, tiene una capacidad de triturar 15 toneladas por hora, lo que supone 35.000 al año, mientras que el rechazo -de pequeños elementos que no son plásticos y se eliminan del proceso- es de apenas el cinco por ciento.

Hasta el momento, los plásticos que se revalorizan en la factoría proceden de residuos generados en la región. En Yepes, en concreto, se han consumido entre 2009 y el pasado ejercicio 18.905 toneladas de residuo plástico, evitando así, según los datos facilitados, una generación de metano en vertedero de 12.470 toneladas equivalentes en dióxido de carbono, o, lo que es lo mismo, las emisiones de 5.100 coches durante un año sin parar de funcionar.

Desde la multinacional respetan las opiniones de los colectivos ecologistas, que criticaron duramente va a hacer seis años la concesión de la autorización ambiental integrada para la valorización de los plásticos por parte de la Junta, pero recuerdan que en la jerarquía de la directiva europea que regula el uso de los residuos, efectivamente la valorización energética ocupa el cuatro lugar de los cinco contemplados, pero por debajo de ella está el vertedero, porque en ellos el residuo ‘quieto’ también contamina -los plásticos pueden perdurar hasta 1.000 años- y, reiteran, el plástico que se incinera en Yepes es exclusivamente la fracción que sin este proceso se vería abocada a ocupar un espacio de el vertedero.

AUSTRALIA: ABC factory expansion bid

THE expansion of Adelaide Brighton Cement’s Birkenhead plant will be bigger than originally flagged to include measures for reducing dust.

The company last week announced it would forge ahead with plans for a $60 million expansion, including a new cement mill to increase production capacity by about 50 per cent, or 750,000 tonnes a year.

The development will also include an upgrade of the company’s shiploading area to reduce dust.

Sheds will be built for stockpiles of gypsum at the Victoria Rd plant’s southern end, with an additional conveyor system to carry the raw material around the site.

The new mill will be built on the Port River wharf side of the plant and completed by early 2013, subject to approval from Port Adelaide Enfield Council and the Environment Protection Authority.

ABC said there would be no additional emissions from its chimney stack as a result of the expansion because it would not fire more limestone. Instead it would use products it had previously exported to increase production at the mill.

Operations manager Vince Aurora said the development would “deliver a net improvement on the plant’s overall environmental performance”.

“The design and construction of the new cement mill and ship loading facility will use the best available dust collection technology,” Mr Aurora said.

The company flagged it was looking to increase its production capacity last August, estimating a new mill would cost $40-$50 million. At the time, some Birkenhead residents said they feared an increase in dust, noise and vibrations if the expansion went ahead.

ABC was named in an EPA report last year, which raised concerns about air pollution from industry around the Port. The report led to the stalling of the Dock One stage of the Newport Quays residential development.

But the company and the EPA maintain it is operating within its licence conditions.

Last week’s announcement came as ABC’s parent company Adelaide Brighton posted a net profit of $151.5 million for 2010, up 23 per cent on the previous year.

What do you think of the additional expansion plans at ABC? Fill in the feedback box on this page to share your thoughts.

ABC will deliver a presentation on the project at the next meeting of its community liaison group at the Port Adelaide Town Hall, on Monday, March 7, at 7pm.

INDIA: Cement prices to increase in western region: report

The shares of Ultra Tech Cement are currently trading higher at Rs. 969, up 1.8%. While Ambuja Cement and ACC are marginally up at Rs. 124 and Rs. 1,009 respectively.

The Cement companies in the Western part of India are reportedly said to hike the prices by Rs.7-10 per 50kg bags due to revival in demand.

According to reports, Ultra Tech, Ambuja, ACC, Binani and India Cements are among the few companies who have hinted about the proposed hike in prices of cement.

The shares of Ultra Tech Cement are currently trading higher at Rs. 969, up 1.8%. While Ambuja Cement and ACC are marginally up at Rs. 124 and Rs. 1,009 respectively.

Meanwhile, Binnani Cement and India Cement are in the red with the loss of Rs. 0.5 and Rs. 0.1, respectively.

SAUDI ARABIA: Arabian Cement Co net rises 48% despite gross falL

Arabian Cement Company said net profits last year rose by almost half against 2009 despite a fall in gross profits, as higher sales costs met with lower volumes in an increasingly saturated market.

The Jeddah-based firm said pre-tax takings reached SAR 318.9 million, down 18.3% from SAR 390.2 million the previous year, a slide the company attributes to higher costs against the amount being produced. The company has halted certain production lines for maintenance work and this has driven up expenses on inventory costs and fixed costs.

But net profits soared from SAR 172 million to SAR 255.4 million, or 48.5%, due to a decline in “allocations that are configured for what has been allocated in the past year”, from SAR 147 million allocations in 2009 to SAR 25 million.

Operating profits rose 18% to SAR 288 million.

AFRICA: East Africa Portland Cement to Convert Yen Loans, Business Daily Reports

East African Portland Cement Co. plans to convert its yen-denominated loans into other currencies, Business Daily reported, citing Managing Director Kephar Tande.

A currency swap is expected to be completed by mid-March, the Nairobi-based newspaper said. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was appointed to advise the company on the conversion, it said.

East African has 3 billion shillings ($36.6 million) to settle after it took a 1.7 billion-shilling loan in 1990, the newspaper said.

ESPAÑA: Un proyecto de la UCO sobre material de construcción descontaminante, reconocido por Fundación Mapfre

El proyecto titulado 'Mejora de la calidad del aire en entornos urbanos mediante el desarrollo de materiales de construcción', presentado por el profesor del Departamento de Química Inorgánica e Ingeniería Química de la Universidad de Córdoba (UCO), Luis Sánchez, ha logrado una de las 20 ayudas a la investigación de la Fundación Mapfre en su convocatoria de 2010.

Según ha informado la UCO en un comunicado, el objeto de este trabajo, que ha obtenido una de las ayudas de Mapfre para proyectos sobre Prevención y Medio Ambiente, a las que se presentaron 482 solicitudes, consiste en el estudio y preparación de material de construcción de última generación con propiedades descontaminantes.

Este proyecto se desarrollará junto con la empresa Grupo Puma, que pretende comercializar unos morteros secos que conviertan los nuevos elementos edificables en núcleos descontaminantes de la atmósfera urbana de las grandes vías de las ciudades.

Se pretende así hacer posible el derecho a respirar aire limpio y sin riesgos para la salud, ya que el problema de la contaminación del aire continúa siendo motivo de seria preocupación en España y en el resto de Europa, por sus efectos nocivos sobre la salud humana y el medio ambiente.

Hoy en día, aún persisten en las ciudades concentraciones elevadas de contaminantes como, por ejemplo, los óxidos de nitrógeno (NOx). Estos compuestos, cuya presencia en las ciudades se debe principalmente a los procesos de combustión en motores diesel, las emisiones de fábricas y al quemarse los cigarrillos, tienen una toxicidad muy elevada. De hecho, pequeñas cantidades presentes en la atmósfera (> 2 ppm) originan serias enfermedades respiratorias

Una manera de disminuir la concentración de gases NOx en la atmósfera de una ciudad es mediante la creación de grandes superficies descontaminantes que permitan la "limpieza" de los mismos en su entorno. Se conoce que los materiales de construcción, y más específicamente el cemento, pueden actuar como descontaminantes de gases NOx y la fracción de BTEX (Benceno, Tolueno, Etanol y Xileno) de los compuestos orgánicos volátiles. Esto es posible gracias a la presencia de aditivos fotocatalizadores, como el TiO2, en su formulación.

Así, mediante la acción de la luz solar, la reacción fotoquímica que tiene lugar en la superficie de las partículas de fotocatalizador permite la descomposición química de los contaminantes anteriormente mencionados y, por tanto su descontaminación. Este desarrollo tecnológico no se ha implementado sobre los morteros secos, material de construcción muy empleado en nuestro país para el recubrimiento final de las superficies edificables.

Además, la porosidad de este material es muy superior a la que presenta el cemento, por lo que el contacto con el aire atmosférico estaría más favorecido, obteniéndose de este modo un mejor rendimiento de la acción descontaminante.

VENEZUELA: El problema real no es la producción de cemento sino la especulación

El ministro del Poder Popular para Ciencia, Tecnología e Industrias Intermedias, Ricardo Menéndez, reiteró que “la cultura especulativa es el problema real el país”.

Durante su comparecencia en la Asamblea Nacional (AN), informó que antes de la nacionalización de las empresas productoras de cemento, el consumo per cápita era de 130 kilogramos al año, mientras que ahora es de 300 kilos anuales.

Destacó que el Gobierno Bolivariano ha liderado el combate contra la especulación, a través de la contraloría social de los consejos comunales.

ITALIA: Cemento e territorio binomio inconcepibile

L’ ISTAT ha registrato un calo notevole degli investimenti nel settore della produzione del cemento, il rallentamento è stato riscontrato nell’edilizia residenziale, in quella non residenziale e nelle opere pubbliche. Secondo l’Osservatorio Congiunturale delle costruzioni e il Cen¬tro Studi dell’ANCE la crisi dovrebbe con¬tin¬uare anche per il 2011. Il calo di investimenti, nel quadriennio che va dal 2008 al 2011, si stima in 29 miliardi di Euro.

La domanda di cemento in Europa e in Italia ha ovviamente risentito della contrazione del settore delle costruzioni. Per la produzione, come per i consumi, si conferma la forte contrazione “a due cifre” percentuali, diffusa in tutta l’Europa. In Italia, la produzione 2009 ha confermato il trend del 2008 con un calo della produzione su tutto il territorio nazionale.

Il gruppo Matarrese ha attivato la procedura per la costruzione a Trani di uncementificio con una capacità dichiarata di 499 t/giorno: verosimilmente per evitare la soglia di produzione di 500 t/giorno che obbliga alla procedura di rilascio dell’AIA (Autorizzazione Integrata Ambientale), prevista dalla direttiva 2008/1/CE, nota come "direttiva IPPC" (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control)

PARAGUAY: Por falta de fueloíl, para por vigésima vez el horno de INC

La producción de clínker está nuevamente suspendida en la planta de Vallemí de la Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC). Desde el viernes pasado, el horno de la estatal dejó de elaborar el principal insumo del material de construcción, debido a la escasez de fueloíl.

A pesar de que lo técnicamente recomendable es tener solo uno o dos paros del horno  de clínker al año, la administración actual de INC, presidida por Optaciano Gómez  (PLRA), registra un promedio de 10 paralizaciones anuales. 

Desde fines de noviembre de 2008, cuando asumió Gómez, se han tenido  15 paralizaciones por falta de fueloíl y cuatro por problemas en el casco del horno y en los ladrillos refractarios. Por lo que la suspensión actual es la número 20.    

Según los propios técnicos de  Vallemí, los sucesivos paros  causan estragos en el horno, por lo que consideran que a las autoridades actuales “poco y nada les importa el área técnica de la industria”.  Más aun si se tiene en cuenta que la cementera posee tanques para almacenar hasta 18.000 metros cúbicos de fueloíl, pero  es infraestructura ociosa, debido a que constantemente se presentan problemas con el suministro del combustible.

Paralización actual

Según los datos, desde el viernes pasado se dejó de producir clínker, principal insumo del cemento, debido al escaso stock de fueloíl.    

Como se queman entre 170 y 180 metros cúbicos de fueloíl por día al producir el insumo, las autoridades de la INC decidieron en un principio dejar el horno “en estado de calentamiento”, ya que una vez que se enfría, tarda mínimo 24 horas en retomar la producción. Pero finalmente se decidió la paralización del horno ayer por la siesta.

La idea de las autoridades era aguardar la llegada de un cargamento de combustible que se encuentra en camino, pero cuya fecha de arribo es aún incierta, según dijeron los técnicos.

Como consecuencia de este paro, desde el viernes hasta hoy  se dejaron de elaborar 8.000 toneladas de clínker (2.000 ton./día), equivalentes a 192.000 bolsas de cemento. Pero si se tienen en cuenta todos los paros  durante la administración de Gómez, que a la fecha asciende a 182,2 días, se estaría hablando de 364.400 toneladas de clínker que se dejaron de producir. Esto se traduce en 8.745.600 bolsas de cemento que no llegaron al mercado y 306.096 millones de guaraníes que no ingresaron a la INC.