ITALIA: Cement partners' winning ways

Italcementi is happy with its stake in West China Cement and the report of fraud is not true, says its chief representative

Italcementi Group, an Italian-listed cement company, has faith in West China Cement despite a US short-seller's report alleging fraud at the mainland cement producer, said Ma Weiping, Italcementi's chief representative in West China Cement.

In August, Glaucus Research, a US short-seller, published a report alleging inflated profits, fraud and suspicious acquisitions of mainland cement plants by West China Cement, which has denied the allegations.

"We already did lots of due diligence on West China Cement, so we felt the short-seller's report is not factual," said Ma at a gathering with journalists. "Thus, it has not shaken our confidence in West China Cement."

Just before the Glaucus report, Italcementi, the world's fifth-largest cement company, became the Hong Kong-listed firm's third-largest shareholder on June 28 with a 6.25 per cent stake. Under this deal, Italcementi's executive, Ma, was appointed a non-executive director of West China Cement.

"I don't think West China Cement has serious corporate governance problems. There are some errors in Glaucus' report," said Daiwa Securities analyst Felix Lam.

He said Glaucus' allegations regarding West China Cement's selling prices were inaccurate and its comparison of prices between Shaanxi province, where West China Cement sells most of its product, and other provinces was unfair.

West China Cement has decided not to sue Glaucus but reserves the right to do so, said its executive director, Low Po Ling.

"To prove the truth of our case, we don't need to resort to lawsuits. We have invited reporters to Xian, to show our factories exist. They are not just drawings on a piece of paper," he said.

West China Cement chairman Zhang Jimin said "there is a Chinese saying, let the facts speak for themselves".

Ma described Italcementi's strategic partnership with West China Cement as win-win.

"West China Cement's advantage is it understands China's economy and policies.

"Italcementi is a 150-year-old company with lots of experience. There can be an exchange of knowledge. Previously, we competed, but now we co-operate," Ma said.

To gain the shareholding in West China Cement, Italcementi sold West China Cement its 35 per cent stake in a cement plant in Shifeng, Shaanxi, and its cement plant in Fuping county, Shaanxi, in June.

A visit to the cement plant in Fuping shows cultural differences between Italcementi and West China Cement.

In the three months since West China Cement took over the Fuping plant, its monthly cement capacity has increased to 180,000 tonnes from 130,000 tonnes, said West China Cement regional manager Wang Fayin.

He attributed the increased output to replacing the Italian management system with Chinese management methods.

"The differences are very big. The Italian and Chinese models are different," said Wang.

When Italcementi was managing the Fuping plant, many decisions were made in Italy, which had a six-hour time zone difference with Fuping, he said.

"Italian managers would leave Fuping to go home to Xian at 5.30pm every day, while Chinese plant managers stayed in the plant. The top Italian managers go back to Italy once a year," said West China Cement deputy manager Luo Xianbo.

Wang said that by staying at the plant, "we can solve a problem right away. We Chinese would work until midnight to fix a problem".

"I offered simpler shortcut solutions, but the Italian bosses didn't approve them. Now that we have taken over, we do things our way," Wang said.

Previously, Italcementi would insist the Fuping plant import Italian components, when there were cheaper Chinese-made components next door that could have been used instead, he added.

However, Italcementi has an excellent global IT system that can monitor operations around the world in real time, Low said.

"The Italian company is better than us in this respect."

The Italian management model is people-centric and empowers workers to be independent, but the quality of Chinese workers is not up to that of European workers, so a stricter management model must be imposed on Chinese workers, said West China Cement chief executive Tian Zhenjun.

Nonetheless, Italcementi has strengths in safety and research and development, which has benefited West China Cement, he said.

When Chinese government safety inspectors visited mainland cement plants, the Italian managers would not host them to dinner while Chinese managers would, he said.

"This is not bribery. Is eating dinner corruption?

"Wine and dinner is normal Chinese entertainment. This is the Chinese tradition of people-to-people relationships," Tian said.

Despite the cultural differences, there are no quarrels between Italcementi and West China Cement, because Italcementi's chief representative in West China Cement is Ma, a Chinese who understands China, Tian said.

EEUU: Mayfield cement plant "clean and safe"

A Melbourne company has sought to reassure Mayfield residents that a proposed $40 million cement plant on the former BHP steelworks site will be clean and safe.

Independent Cement and Lime met with residents yesterday to discuss its plans to build a plant near the old BHP wharf, producing up to 170,000 tonnes of cement products annually.

CEO Michael Byrne says an environmental assessment should be complete in the next few days, but the proposal is still in its early stages.

"It's part of a long process in terms of getting a development accepted by the residents, customers and in fact our own organisation," he said.

"We're basically telling the residents it's a very, very clean process, and there's a great deal of experience in Melbourne, where we are only a few kilometres from the CBD."

Mr Byrne says it will be much smaller than the Victorian plant, which has no negative environmental impacts.

"Our experience tells us that if we are able to show and convince the residents, it makes life easy for everybody," he said.

"And gives them a sense of security that we're not doing anything at all of a disturbing nature, whether it be noise, dust or any of those issues."

INDONESIA: Siam Cement to Build $358m Plant in Indonesia

Siam Cement, Thailand’s biggest cement producer, plans to invest more than $350 million for the construction of a cement plant in West Java as part of its efforts to expand in the region. 

The 11 billion baht ($358 million) Indonesian cement plant is one of its three projects across Southeast Asia, the Bangkok-based company said in a statement sent to the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Wednesday. The other projects include a cement packaging plant in Thailand and expansion of a cement plant in Cambodia. 

“The board of directors has approved several new investment projects, totaling 23,200 million baht in the cement and paper businesses. These investments are in accordance with Siam Cement’s strategy to become an Asean sustainable business leader,” it said. 

The Indonesian cement plant is expected to have total estimated annual production at 1.8 million metric tons.

“This green-field investment is expected to start up in mid-2015 and will include the latest waste-heat power generator system for reduced electrical consumption,” the company said. Siam Cement says that demand in Indonesia’s cement market is estimated at 54 million tons in 2012, with expected annual growth at 5 percent to 10 percent in the next 10 years. 

Infrastructure projects such as roads, airports and seaports should boost demand for building materials including cement. 

Siam Cement’s local competitors are Semen Gresik, Holcim Indonesia and Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa. 

The Thai company’s expansion in Indonesia is part of its $754 million investment project in cement and paper. 

Around $179 million will be used to build a second cement line with a capacity of 900,000 tons in Cambodia. 

“This second line will be located in the existing cement facility in Kampot, which is Cambodia’s first cement plant and has been in operation since mid-2007,” the company, adding that the remainder would go to expand its packaging operations in Thailand

AFRICA: Congo Cement Company Expects to Double Profit This Year, Expand

Congo New Cement Co., a company jointly owned by China Road & Bridge Corp. and the Republic of Congo’s government, expects to double profit this year as it embarks on an expansion plan to boost output amid a shortage.

The company expects profit to increase to almost 1 billion CFA francs ($2 million) in 2012 from 500 million francs last year, Eugene Ngangoue, a director of the company, told reporters today in Brazzaville, the capital.

Production at the company’s plant at Loutete, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Brazzaville, may be doubled to 300,000 metric tons a year to meet increased demand for the building material, Ngangoue said. Annual demand is estimated at 650,000 tons and may increase to 1.5 million tons by 2015, according to the Industrial Development Ministry.

President Denis Sassou Nguesso has worked to rebuild the Central African nation’s economy through investments in mining and oil after a civil war from 1997 to 1999 left 10,000 people dead and forced 800,000 more to flee their homes. Congo is sub- Saharan Africa’s fourth-biggest oil producer, pumping 295,000 barrels a day of oil in 2011, according to BP Plc (BP/)’s Statistical Review of World Energy.

SONOCC, as the company is known by its French acronym, is 56 percent owned by Beijing-based China Road and 44 percent by Congo’s government, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

PAKISTAN: Cement export during first quarter posts 42.35 percent growth

The cement export from the country during the first quarter of current financial year registered growth of 42.35 percent as compared to the same period of last year.

According the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the export of cement increased in dollar terms while the quantum export remain on down track.

During the period from July-September 2012, about 1,899,791 metric tons cement worth US$ 146.321 million exported which was up by 42.35 percent as compared to the same period of last year.

Meanwhile. the export of cement during the first quarter of last financial year was recorded at 2,158,429 metric tons worth US$ 112.033 million, the data revealed.

However, other commodities including gems, jewellary, furniture, molasses and handicraft remained on green track and posted positive growth respectively during the period under review.

The data revealed that gems export increased by 69.64 percent, Jewellary by 383.64 percent and furniture export by 1.92 percent respectively during the first quarter of current financial year.

The country exported about 4 metric tons of gems worth US$ 1.05 million and jewellary of US$ 740.4 million by the end of first quarter of financial year 2012-13 as compared to the same period of last year.

During the period from July-September 2012, furniture valuing US$ 1.683 million exported as compared with the export of US$ 1.80 million of same period last financial year, it added.

During the first quarter, country earned US$ 0.138 million by exporting about 2,323 metric tons of molasses which was recorded at 2,025 metric tons of US$ 0.247 million, the data revealed.

The export of gur and gur products increased by 86.93 percent in first three months as about 8,400 metric ton gur and its products valuing US$ 37.56 million exported as compared to the 7,937 metric tons worth US$ 21.89 million during the same period of last financial year, it added.

PAKISTAN: Lucky Cement enters into international joint ventures

Lucky Cement, which claims to be the largest manufacturer of cement in Pakistan, has entered into a couple of joint ventures for making investment in international projects, besides expending and diversifying its business locally, according to a notification of the company to the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) on Thursday.

Muhammad Abid Ganatara, secretary of Lucky Cement, said that the company has entered into joint ventures in cement plants in DR Congo, Africa, and Iraq.

“The plant and machinery for the project [in Africa] has been negotiated and finalised with a renowned European supplier and the terms of the project financing are under process of negotiations with the development financial institutions and multilateral agencies,” the notice said.

Besides, the company has also entered into joint venture investment in cement grinding facility in Iraq.

“The contract for the supply of plant and machinery for this project has been signed and the project team, as well as civil contractors, have been mobilised at the project site,” it said.

An industry source said that the demand for Pakistani cement is on the higher side in Africa and Lucky Cement aimed at capturing that opportunity. The project would also help the company save logistic cost of cement exports to the African countries, said source.

“The logistic cost of cement exports remained one of the major hurdles in increasing such exports from Pakistan,” said another industry source, on the condition of anonymity.

“The cost factor is causing continuous decline in exports for the last several quarters.”

Moreover, Iraq has been destructed due to the war on terror and it needs to be reconstructed. Therefore, making investment in cement plant in Iraq would also help the company realise higher earnings. Besides, the company could also export cement to nearby countries such as Qatar and other GCC countries, he said.

Lucky Cement also reported to investment equity in an associated company for 50MW wind farm project. “The power generation licence and the requisite approval from the authority concerned for the acceptance of upfront tariff have been obtained.

The project team is actively engaged in negotiations of concession documents and financing close with the stipulated timeframe,” according to the company notice.

The company also reported successful supply of uninterrupted electricity to Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) with effect from July 1, averaging a supply of over 20MW per hour during the quarter ended September 30.

As part of its diversification strategy, the company being part of Yunus Brothers Group (YGB)-led consortium has signed a share purchase agreement with ICI Omicron B.V. for the acquisition of 75.81 percent shares in ICI Pakistan, it said.

It has been agreed that YBG would pay a total of Rs13.05 billion (Rs186.42 per share) to ICI Omicron B.V. for the acquisition.

AFRICA: Tanzania: New Cement Factory for Local Market in Offing

THE management of the envisaged cement manufacturing plant to be set up by Dangote Group in Mtwara region is optimistic of sealing the shortage of the construction material in the local market, which is currently estimated at 1.5 million tonnes.

Senior General Manager for Dangote Industries Tanzania, Mr Dilip Musale, said recently that the factory, which is expected to be commissioned in 36-months time, will produce 6,000 tonnes of cement per day.

Dangote Industries Tanzania, a subsidiary of Nigeria's Dangote Group plans to invest US 535 million dollar (approximately 856bn/-) in the factory to be situated at Mikindani area, about 24 kilometre from Mtwara town.

Banking on sufficient availability of main raw materials for making cement in the Southern regions, Mr Musale, was hopeful that his company would be able to produce enough cement to cater for the shortage in the local market.

Mtwara and Lindi are endowed with limestone, red soil, clay and gypsum among others, which are major ingredients for making cement. "Using local materials will also give us a competitive advantage against our competitors who import about 50 per cent of raw materials for making cement, particularly clinker," Mr Musale told journalists who were on a study tour in the region.

Adding; "Once there is enough supply locally then prices are likely to come down, this will also boost the growth of the construction industry." In the year 2007 when Dangote Industries Tanzania was incorporated, it commissioned Data Associates Limited to conduct a research on the shortage of cement in the country.

The latter's study found out that the country faced a shortage of 600,000 tonnes in 2007 which was projected to grow to 1.5 million tonnes by last year. And, with adequate natural gas deposits in Mtwara and Lindi regions, Mr Musale said the company is looking forward on setting up its own power generating plant with a capacity to generate 37MW.

The company's Manager for Human Resource, Mr Ignace Mwanyika, said the plant will create reasonable direct and indirect jobs from residents in the region and beyond.

ITALIA: Italcementi, investimento “green” per 150mln

Italcementi investe 150 milioni per realizzare a Rezzato, in provincia di Brescia, “la cementeria più moderna ed ecologica d’Europa”. L’impianto, che risale al 1964, da novembre verrà profondamente rinnovato principalmente nella linea di cottura. L’avvio della nuova struttura è programmato per la fine del 2014, al termine dei lavori e delle operazioni di collaudo.

Le nuove tecnologie impiegate nel revamping di Rezzato garantiranno una riduzione dei costi di produzione del 23% e un abbattimento delle emissioni del 75% a regime. Il revamping aumenterà anche la produzione del clinker grigio da 800.000 a 1 milione di tonnellate.

L’impianto, costruito nel 1964, è da tempo al centro delle accuse per gli altissimi livelli di Pm10 (il particolato disperso composto da polvere, fumo e microgocce, pericoloso per la salute) che si registrano nel comune.

La cementeria, che si estende per 20 ettari tra Rezzato e il confinante Comune di Mazzano e occupa circa 130 persone, produce clinker grigio per 800.000 tonnellate circa e bianco per 200.000 tonnellate.

L’intervento di revamping, dice l’azienda, consentirà di ridurre da due a una sola le attuali linee di produzione del clinker grigio.

La ristrutturazione, aggiunge l’azienda, consentirà anche di diminuire l’impatto acustico.

Nel 2007 Italcementi ha ottenuto per l’impianto bresciano l’Autorizzazione integrata ambientale. Nel 2009 ha poi sottoscritto un patto con il ministero dell’Ambiente per una serie di investimenti finalizzati al rinnovo dell’apparato industriale che finora ha portato già alla ristrutturazione dell’impianto di Matera.

Quello di Italcementi, ha detto il ministro per lo Sviluppo economico, Trasporti e Infrastrutture, Corrado Passera, intervenuto alla presentazione dell’investimento, ”è un caso emblematico dell’Italia che c’è, che gira per il mondo, che non parla tanto ma fa molto”.

”E’ la dimostrazione”, ha aggiunto il ministro dell’Ambiente Corrado Clini, anch’egli presente all’evento”, che se si investe sull’ambiente, si hanno dei vantaggi sia sul piano industriale che su quello ambientale”.

”Il revamping”, ha commentato poi il consigliere delegato della società, Carlo Pesenti, “porterà a un netto miglioramento della sostenibilità ambientale ed economica dell’impianto. La rinnovata cementeria di Rezzato sarà una delle punte di diamante della struttura industriale di Italcementi in Italia, insieme agli impianti di Calusco D’Adda e Matera, rinnovati negli scorsi anni. Il gruppo ha in corso altri investimenti importanti un India e in Bulgaria, ma questo rilevante impegno in Italia vuole anche essere un segno del nostro radicamento a soprattutto della fiducia che Italcementi nutre nel futuro del nostro paese malgrado lo scenario difficile in cui siamo attualmente immersi”.

AFRICA: KENYA: ARM Cement Ltd continues to post rise in profit

ARM Cement Limited (formerly Athi River Mining Ltd) has posted a nine month net profit of Sh826 million marking a 328 percent growth from the previous year’s Sh193 million.

Turnover climbed 29 percent to Sh7.74 billion driven primarily by higher sales of Rhino Cement.

Rhino Cement, which is ARM’s flagship operation set up in 1997, launched its Tanzania cement production plant in Dar es Salaam this month.

“This will contribute to the group revenues in the 4th quarter of 2012. Construction at the 1.2 million tonnes per year Clinker plant at Tanga is progressing as per schedule,” the company said in a statement.

ARM Cement Ltd received $50 million from the African Finance Corporation (AFC) to fund in part the Tanzania plant as well as expansion efforts into the region.

The company has operations in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and South Africa

Profit before unrealised foreign exchange differences increased by 18 percent from Sh978 million to Sh1.15 billion.

“The unrealised foreign exchange loss provision in the nine months of 2011 was Sh681 million. With the strengthening of the Kenya shilling, this exchange loss has since reversed and turned into a gain of Sh42 million in 2012,” the firm revealed.

The company’s overall outlook remained optimistic about the business environment in the region and with expectations of growth in demand for Rhino Cement and other products.

Standard Investment Bank (SIB) said over the last five years cement industry players have invested over Sh42 billion ($500 million) in capacity expansion.

This investment has seen cement grinding capacity in the region increase by 65.8 percent over the same period to 10.4 Million Tonnes Per Annum (mpta) in 2011; a figure SIB expects to further increase by 41.8 percent to 14.76 mtpa by 2015.

Between 2001 and 2010 total cement traded across the East African Community jumped from 0.447 mtpa to 2.182 mtpa.

Kenya remains the region’s largest net exporter with 0.61 mtpa in 2010 up from 0.23 mtpa in 2002, while Rwanda is the largest net importer with 0.21 mtpa in 2010.

AFRICA: South African Cement Company To Boost Local Production With $222m Deal

Sephaku Cement, the first indigenous player in South Africa’s cement industry of over 70 years, has signed up 1.95 billion rand ($222 million) of domestic debt funding for its 3.4 billion rand ($390 million) cement plant and clinker plant project spanning two provinces.

Sephaku said the agreement would enable it to become a significant competitor in the South African wholesale and retail cement market, considering the volume of investment of the 10-year deal funded by two of South Africa’s biggest lenders – Standard Bank and Nedbank.

Sola David-Borha, CEO of Stanbic IBTC in Nigeria, commenting on the deal said on Monday: “As a result of the transaction, we will see Sephaku become a leading cement producer in the region, enabling significant job creation with wider economic benefits.”

According to bdlive, the development comes as South Africa is set to embark on a 4 trillion rand ($456 billion) 15 year-infrastructure programme.

The massive infrastructure investment is intended to reverse a plunge in Africa’s largest economy’s building and construction sector, an aftermath of the global financial crisis.

Sephaku Cement CEO Pieter Fourie while commenting on the deal, said on Monday: “The significance of this deal goes beyond cement. It indicates a strong new commitment to industrial development in South Africa.”

According to reports, Sephaku Cement, was an associate of JSE-listed Sephaku Holdings, a 64 percent-owned subsidiary of Nigeria’s Dangote Cement.

Dangote who happens to be Africa’s highest Forbes-rated business man made a record investment of over 1.1 billion rand ($125 million) in the company, the largest-ever foreign direct investment in South Africa by an African company.

A third of the investment would be spent on infrastructural capacity such as access roads, water reticulation, and a power installation for national electricity utility Eskom.

Also, two plants were constructed which are now in advanced stages, which are scheduled to be in full production by the end of 2013. The first is a 1.2 million production capacity cement plant in North West Province while the other would produce about 1.4-million tons of cement products annually.

PARAGUAY: Hacienda recorta US$ 40 millones a INC en el presupuesto del 2013

Con el redireccionamiento de recursos que serán obtenidos de la colocación de bonos soberanos a nivel internacional, la Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC) sufrirá un importante recorte en sus fondos que se canalizarán ahora a los planes encarados por el Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Comunicaciones (MOPC).

Conforme a la adenda presentada por el Ministerio de Hacienda al Proyecto de Presupuesto General de la Nación para el año 2013, la cementera estatal sufrirá una disminución de sus recursos de G. 177.160 millones (US$ 40 millones aproximadamente) correspondientes a la fuente de financiamiento 20 "Recursos del Crédito Público" de los Bonos Soberanos.

La idea en principio del Gobierno Nacional con la inyección de capital era levantar a la institución que desde hace años se encuentra en una deplorable situación financiera y de infraestructura.

El plan de gastos para el próximo año proyectaba la modernización de la INC con el cambio de matriz energética de la cementera en Vallemí, la embolsadora rotativa en Villeta y la enfriadora de clínker del horno 3 en Vallemí. En la adenda no se menciona si los recursos redireccionados al MOPC serán sustituidos por otra fuente de financiamiento.

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Si bien el proyecto adicional remitido por la cartera económica contempla el aumento de US$ 50 millones que se sumarán a los US$ 500 millones de bonos soberanos a ser emitidos en el mercado internacional, también fueron recortados los fondos para financiar la edificación de oficinas del Gobierno Nacional.

Entre algunos de los proyectos que serán llevados adelante con la colocación de los títulos figuran la construcción del paso a desnivel en el tramo Aviadores del Chaco y Madame Lynch, la ampliación de calzadas de tramos de la ruta Asunción−Ciudad del Este, así como de Limpio−Mariano Roque Alonso. También la pavimentación asfáltica del tramo Caazapá−Yuty y proyectos destinados al mejoramiento del sistema eléctrico nacional de la Administración Nacional de Electricidad (Ande).

OMAN: Oman Cement to expand its milling capacity

Oman Cement Company is boosting its cement grinding capacity with the planned installation of a new cement mill with a capacity of 150 tons per hour (tph).

A tender to this effect has been floated by the company, Dr Abdullah Abbas Ahmed, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said a report of Oman Cement’s financial performance for the nine months ended September 30, 2012. The capacity expansion is the latest in a series of measures undertaken by the company in line with soaring cement demand, he added.

Meanwhile, profit after tax jumped 32.5 per cent to RO 12.859 million for the period under review, against net earnings of RO 9.703 million during the same period last year. Total cement sales climbed 20.8 per cent to 1.689 million metric tons this year, from 1.398 million MT last year. In value terms, the turnover rose 15.16 per cent to RO 41.762 million this year, from RO 36.265 million last year.

Clinker production also sharply increased to 1.505 million MT this year, from 1.037 million MT last year. In addition, the company had to import 54,652 MT of clinker to bridge a temporary shortfall stemming from the prolonged shutdown of one of its kilns which was being fitted out with pollution control equipment. In contrast, clinker imports were high as 291,498 MT during the corresponding period of last year.

Cement production was 19.6 per cent higher at 1.677 million MT this year, from 1.402 million MT during the corresponding period of last year. The company also imported 752 MT of cement to cover a temporary shortfall in supply.

Commenting on the outlook for cement demand, the Chairman said: “The underlying fundamentals for the Omani cement market continue to remain strong. This has been demonstrated by the positive growth in sales volumes in the first nine months of the year. The company is positive about the sector demand and it is felt that while competition from neighbouring countries and locally will still continue to exert pressure on margins, the company is well-positioned to retain and improve its market share in Oman.”

The Report further added: “The company’s new clinker production line has provided the much needed support to meet the expected demand in the Sultanate. Additionally, with the enhanced level of government spending along with key project implementation during the remaining period of the existing 5-year plan, the company expects further improvement in demand for cement in the Sultanate.”

ESPAÑA: Cemex prevé unos 70 despidos en la planta que tiene en Yepes

La reunión que mantuvieron los sindicatos con Cemex la pasada jornada para valorar el futuro de las diferentes plantas de que dispone la multinacional cementera en el país, entre las que se incluye la factoría de Castillejo, en Cemex, terminó peor de lo previsto. Es así porque la fábrica de clinker de Yepes será una de las más afectadas del conjunto nacional, tras exponer la empresa que su intención es despedir a unos 70 empleados.

Según explicó Carlos Duque, de UGT, la planta yepera cuenta en la actualidad con cerca de 120 empleados, que quedarían reducidos a apenas 41, no en vano Cemex pretende dejar de fabricar clinker en Yepes, que quedaría exclusivamente para molienda, con lo cual estaría sobrando gran cantidad del personal.

Duque indicó que a partir de ahora comienzan las negociaciones, que no se prevén fáciles, ya que la caída del sector está ahí y las cifras demuestran que es inviable mantener las cementeras como hasta la fecha dada la gran reducción en el consumo de cemento.

La intención de los sindicatos pasa, en primer término, por evitar que la planta de Yepes quede exclusivamente para la función de molienda. Si no se consiguiera esta pretensión, agrega Duque, lo siguiente sería impedir que salgan tantos trabajadores, puesto que la merma planteada por Cemex implica reducir la plantilla en torno a un 70 por ciento.

Igualmente se tendrá que valorar la situación de los trabajadores, ver cuáles son mayores de 50 años, ver las condiciones en las que salen los que finalmente tengan que engrosar las listas del paro, etc., pero por el momento es pronto para aventurar el desenlace de unas negociaciones que ni siquiera han comenzado.

Por lo que ha podido conocer el responsable de la Unión General de Trabajadores de la mano de los compañeros que estuvieron en el encuentro de la pasada jornada, por el momento la empresa parece bastante cerrada a negociar otras cuestiones que no sean las que ella plantea, quizás porque cuenta en su mano con datos que avalan la necesidad de reducir el número de trabajadores ante la caída de la producción.

A este respecto, Duque dijo que esta merma en la fabricación de cemento podría solventarse en parte mediante decisiones políticas, ya que si los gobiernos apuestan por la obra civil en vez de recortar en este apartado, el descenso en el consumo del número de toneladas podría ser mucho menor.

Explicó que hace apenas cuatro años la producción en España era de unas 57 toneladas de cemento al año, estando la cifra actualmente en unas 20, y se prevé que en pocos meses pueda situarse en 13, de ahí ese llamamiento a los políticos que la pasada jornada lanzaba Duque.

Desde Comisiones Obreras, César Ruiz, que es una de las personas que acudió al encuentro en Madrid con representantes de Cemex, indicaba a La Tribuna que estaba muy afectado porque la noticia de los despidos -que serán cerca de 400 en todo el conjunto nacional- y prefería no hacer declaraciones, aprovechando las horas posteriores al fin de la reunión para debatir con el resto de sus compañeros sobre las medidas a adoptar y los planteamientos que poner sobre la mesa los próximos días.

BOLIVIA: Venta de cemento aumenta en 8.52% hasta septiembre

De acuerdo con las proyecciones del IBCH, el 2012 cerraría con un 10% de incremento respecto al año 2011

Como pan caliente. Las ventas de cemento en el país continúan registrando cifras fabulosas. Hasta septiembre de este año, según el Instituto Boliviano del Cemento y el Hormigón (IBCH), las ventas crecieron en 8.52%, respecto al mismo periodo de 2011. Chuquisaca consumió 8.13 por ciento más.

Más de 2 millones de toneladas de cemento consumió el país hasta septiembre, según los registros del IBCH, y el producto aún se mostró “escaso”, a decir del gerente del IBCH, Marcelo Alfaro. Hasta septiembre del año pasado, el consumo de cemento se había situado en algo más de 1,9 millones de toneladas.

La industria nacional, las fábricas de cemento del país, registraron un incremento en sus ventas de 5.47%, pero también crecieron las importaciones: un 4.72%, según el IBCH.

El año pasado, hasta septiembre, Insumos Bolivia, había importado al país unas 23.000 toneladas de cemento. Hasta septiembre de este año, las importaciones superaron las 24.100 toneladas. Además, según Alfaro, el INE reportó unas 58.700 toneladas importadas por otras empresas pequeñas. “Las importaciones se han vuelto una cifra importante”, apuntó.

Itacamba, además, según Alfaro, dejó de enviar al mercado unas 30.400 toneladas de cemento, un 32% menos de lo que había producido el año pasado, debido a problemas con las importaciones de su Clinker, que trae de Brasil.

¿Quiénes consumieron más? Santa Cruz sigue siendo el mayor consumidor. Hasta septiembre, compró 617.815 toneladas de cemento; La Paz consumió 493.392 toneladas; Cochabamba, 374.023 toneladas; y Chuquisaca, 132.259 toneladas.

La Paz registró el crecimiento de consumo de cemento más alto, con 9.64%, y Chuquisaca registró casi el mismo indicador, con 8.13%. Santa Cruz consumió 7.37% más que en el mismo periodo del año pasado.

Según las proyecciones del IBCH, las ventas de cemento cerrarán el año con un 10% de incremento, y en el 2013 la cifra podría alcanzar a un 12% de aumento.

¿Seguirá faltando cemento? Según Alfaro, no tanto. Fancesa incrementará su producción en un 40%, y Coboce elevará su producción a cerca de un 1millón de toneladas al año. Actualmente, produce unas 400.000

ANGOLA: Cimenteira de Benguela lança nova marca em Dezembro

 A indústria de cimento de Benguela (Cimenfort) inicia em Dezembro, deste ano, uma nova produção de cimento Portland da categoria 42,5, revelou hoje, em Luanda, Conceição Tavares, da área comercial da empresa.


Em declarações à Angop, na Feira Internacional de Minas (Fima), a responsável informou que o novo produto vai designar-se BUÉ e o objectivo é tornar o produto mais acessível à maioria dos cidadãos.


A interlocutora não revelou o preço do novo produto, mas disse que o saco de 50 quilogramas produzido pela empresa é comercializado a 875 kwanzas.


Actualmente a indústria produz 60 mil toneladas de cimento por dia e os seus principais mercados de distribuição são as províncias de Benguela, Huíla e do Kwanza Sul.

A Cimenfort foi inaugurada em Setembro de 2012.


Quanto à participação na Fima, disse que o principal objectivo da empresa é divulgar o nome da empresa e expandir os seus produtos.

“Trouxemos para este certame cimento para construção civil e pretendemos expandir os nossos negócios”, disse a interlocutora, salientando que estão a receber, no stand da empresa, muitos visitantes interessados em saber o que ela faz e onde está situada.

A Fima decorre de 11 a 15 de Outubro , em Luanda, no recinto da Feira Internacional de Luanda (Filda) e conta com a participação de pelo menos 70 expositores , entre nacionais e estrangeiros.

TANZANIA: New cement factory for local market

The management of the envisaged cement manufacturing plant to be set up by Dangote Group in Mtwara region is optimistic of sealing the shortage of the construction material in the local market, which is currently estimated at 1.5 million tonnes.
Senior General Manager for Dangote Industries Tanzania, Mr Dilip Musale, said recently that the factory, which is expected to be commissioned in 36-months time, will produce 6,000 tonnes of cement per day.
Dangote Industries Tanzania, a subsidiary of Nigeria’s Dangote Group plans to invest US 535 million dollar
(approximately 856bn/-) in the factory to be situated at Mikindani area, about 24 kilometre from Mtwara town.
Banking on sufficient availability of main raw materials for making cement in the Southern regions, Mr Musale, was hopeful that his company would be able to produce enough cement to cater for the shortage in the local market.
Mtwara and Lindi are endowed with limestone, red soil, clay and gypsum among others, which are major
ingredients for making cement. “Using local materials will also give us a competitive advantage against our
competitors who import about 50 per cent of raw materials for making cement, particularly clinker,” Mr Musale told journalists who were on a study tour in the region.
Adding; “Once there is enough supply locally then prices are likely to come down, this will also boost the growth of the construction industry.” In the year 2007 when Dangote Industries Tanzania was incorporated, it commissioned Data Associates Limited to conduct a research on the shortage of cement in the country.
The latter’s study found out that the country faced a shortage of 600,000 tonnes in 2007 which was projected to grow to 1.5 million tonnes by last year. And, with adequate natural gas deposits in Mtwara and Lindi regions, Mr Musale said the company is looking forward on setting up its own power generating plant with a capacity to generate 37MW.
The company’s Manager for Human Resource, Mr Ignace Mwanyika, said the plant will create reasonable direct and indirect jobs from residents in the region and beyond.

KENYA: ARM Cement Ltd continues to post rise in profit

ARM Cement Limited (formerly Athi River Mining Ltd) has posted a nine month net profit of Sh826 million marking a 328 percent growth from the previous year’s Sh193 million.
Turnover climbed 29 percent to Sh7.74 billion driven primarily by higher sales of Rhino Cement.
Rhino Cement, which is ARM’s flagship operation set up in 1997, launched its Tanzania cement production plant in Dar es Salaam this month.
“This will contribute to the group revenues in the 4th quarter of 2012. Construction at the 1.2 million tonnes per year Clinker plant at Tanga is progressing as per schedule,” the company said in a statement.
ARM Cement Ltd received $50 million from the African Finance Corporation (AFC) to fund in part the Tanzania plant as well as expansion efforts into the region.
The company has operations in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and South Africa
Profit before unrealised foreign exchange differences increased by 18 percent from Sh978 million to Sh1.15 billion.
“The unrealised foreign exchange loss provision in the nine months of 2011 was Sh681 million. With the strengthening of the Kenya shilling, this exchange loss has since reversed and turned into a gain of Sh42 million in 2012,” the firm revealed.
The company’s overall outlook remained optimistic about the business environment in the region and with expectations of growth in demand for Rhino Cement and other products.
Standard Investment Bank (SIB) said over the last five years cement industry players have invested over Sh42 billion ($500 million) in capacity expansion.
This investment has seen cement grinding capacity in the region increase by 65.8 percent over the same period to 10.4 Million Tonnes Per Annum (mpta) in 2011; a figure SIB expects to further increase by 41.8 percent to 14.76 mtpa by 2015.
Between 2001 and 2010 total cement traded across the East African Community jumped from 0.447 mtpa to 2.182 mtpa.
Kenya remains the region’s largest net exporter with 0.61 mtpa in 2010 up from 0.23 mtpa in 2002, while Rwanda is the largest net importer with 0.21 mtpa in 2010.

ESPAÑA: El consumo de cemento en España sigue en caída libre

La patronal de las cementeras españolas, Oficemen, volvió a alertar el miércoles sobre la amenaza a la supervivencia de la industria por el continuado recorte de la inversión y una nueva caída histórica en el consumo en el mes de septiembre.
"El enésimo recorte en la inversión en infraestructuras unido al continuo encarecimiento de la factura eléctrica, elimina cualquier esperanza de recuperación y empuja al sector a una situación insostenible", dijo la patronal en una nota.
Según sus datos, el consumo de cemento cayó en septiembre un 38 por ciento sobre el mismo mes de 2011 a un millón de toneladas, equivalente a la capacidad anual de producción de una de las 35 fábricas que operan en el país.
En un contexto de fuertes recortes en la inversión pública, la patronal también se queja del "continuo encarecimiento de la factura eléctrica que, asegura "empuja al sector a una situación insostenible".
Los cementeros advierten que el nuevo encarecimiento del coste eléctrico entre un 14 y un 16 por ciento recogido en el anteproyecto de la reforma energética dañará "seriamente la competitividad de la industria y limitaría aún más nuestra capacidad exportadora".
Oficemen revisó el mes pasado a la baja sus previsiones para el conjunto del año, proyectando un consumo de 14 millones de toneladas frente a los 20,2 millones de 2011 y el miércoles proyectó que en 2013 espera una nueva caída en torno al 20 por ciento.
Las proyecciones quedan muy lejos de los 67 millones que se consumían en 2007 antes de que explotara la burbuja inmobiliaria.

Mozambique: Minister of Industry and Trade Predicts Stabilisation of Cement Price

Mozambique’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Armando Inroga, predicted on Wednesday that the price of cement will stabilize by December, once national cement production has normalized.

In recent months there have been sharp rises in the retail price of cement. In Maputo markets the price of a 50 kilo sack of cement has risen from 215 meticais (7.5 US dollars) to 240 meticais.

The price is much higher in the central and northern provinces. In Sofala, Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado prices are in excess of 350 meticais a sack, and in Manica the price has reached 500 meticais.

Speaking to reporters, Inroga blamed a serious breakdown in August in the country’s largest cement factory, owned by the company Cimentos de Mocambique. There had also been increases in the prices of cement on the world market.

Inroga said national cement production is usually between 170,000 and 200,000 tonnes a month. But since August production has plummeted – he put the amount of Mozambican cement available at between 97,000 and 130,000 tonnes a month.

He believed that, as from November or December, even with the heavy demand for cement for major public works, the country will return to “relative stability in cement prices”.

The government has been urging more companies to invest in cement production, in the hope that competition will push the price down. Next year, said Inroga, “we believe that the price of cement will fall again, when three new cement factories begin operating. We believe that the ideal price for cement on the market should be no higher than 200 meticais a sack”.

Two of the factories Inroga mentioned should have begun production this year, but their opening has been postponed into 2013. They will each have the capacity to produce 500,000 tonnes a year.

The largest factory of all, with an annual capacity of two million tonnes, is being built at Salamanga, south of Maputo, and should start producing in 2014.

“We will have a production capacity of about five million tonnes as from 2014, rising to 7.5 million tonnes in 2015”, forecast Inroga. “At that time despite the major construction projects under way, the cement price will be 200 meticais a sack, because there will be sufficient supplies”.

MÉXICO: Slim venderá cemento en 2013

Elementia, negocio de los empresarios mexicanos Carlos Slim y Antonio del Valle, lanzó una nueva compañía fabricante de cemento con capacidad para producir un millón de toneladas por año para 2013.


La nueva empresa, Cementos Fortaleza, competirá en el mercado local liderado por la gigante Cemex.

"Los socios de esta empresa quieren tener la mejor cementera de México. Carlos Slim y Antonio del Valle son los dos dueños de Elementia", dijo Antonio Taracena, director general de Cementos Fortaleza.

Elementia es propiedad en 46 por ciento de Slim, vía Grupo Carso, y en 54 por ciento de Antonio del Valle, del conglomerado industrial Mexichem.

"Mexichem es una empresa hermana que ha crecido enormemente y se quiere hacer lo mismo con Elementia, un grupo de materiales de construcción a nivel América Latina", comentó Taracena.
La nueva firma de cemento contará con una planta que involucra una inversión de 300 millones de dólares y estará ubicada en Santiago de Anaya, Hidalgo, indicó Eduardo Musalem, director general de Elementia.

"Después de 70 años está saliendo una nueva marca de cementos en el mercado, pero vamos a tener aceptación por la calidad, por la relación con los distribuidores y porque vamos a tener una buena colocación del producto", dijo Musalem en entrevista tras la presentación.
En la construcción de la planta se generaron mil 200 empleos y en la operación de las instalaciones se emplearán 120 personas de forma directa y 700 de manera indirecta, añadió.
Además, la división creará una escuela de albañiles y dará asesoría a grandes proyectos.
Hasta ahora, Elementia tenía tres divisiones: metales, plástico y fibrocemento. Cementos Fortaleza es la cuarta división.

Elementia planea lanzar una oferta pública inicial de acciones en la Bolsa Mexicana de Valores en el mediano plazo, adelantó Musalem.

CHINA: Conch Cement sees strong output, sales in Sept. on improved demand

China's biggest cement producer by output, Anhui Conch Cement Co., Ltd. (600585.SH), witnessed strong output and sales in September thanks to the coming of peak demand season, a China Securities Journal report said on Wednesday, citing several securities brokers.

The report said that several subsidiaries of the cement giant have been running at full capacity, and some of their output in September has hit new high. In addition, some subsidiaries have exceeded the target output and sales tasks for September and the third quarter of 

this year.

Its Hunan branch has realized this year's profit target ahead of time, according to the report.

The average cement price in China has registered week-on-week increase for several weeks; especially the cement prices in East and Central China regions have shown significant increases recently.

According to Essence Securities, Conch Cement's production capacity in East and Central China accounts for nearly 80 percent of its total capacity. If the cement price in these regions rises 35-50 yuan per metric ton (tonne), the cement giant's gross profit per tonne would go up to about 80 yuan from 50 yuan in Q3, the broker estimated.

If cement price continues rising, Conch Cement's performance may beat market expectation, said the Essence Securities.

According to predication of the Orient Securities, current cement price may continue in Q4 on basically balanced demand and supply in East China region, and the price is unlikely to show better-than-expected increases in November and December.

It predicted that demand is unlikely to see significant improvement in short term.

EGYPT: Cement drives Egypt's first exports rise for 6 months

Libya's hunger for cement has led a significant rise in Egyptian exports, new figures show.

The value of Egyptian exports charted annual growth in September for the first time in six months, fuelled by demand from troubled Libya, data from the Department of Industry and Commerce showed on Monday.
The increase in the value of construction materials from LE2.8 billion in September 2011 to LE4.8 billion in September 2012 drove the spike.

Total value of all Egyptian exports reached LE 11.7 billion ($1.9 billion) in September 2012 versus LE10.17 billion in the same month last year.

An increase in construction materials to Libya specifically impacted the hikes, says Ahmed El-Zeini, head of construction material division in Cairo's chamber of commerce.

"Libya started to import large quantities of Egyptian cement, taking advantage of the lower costs, since it is transported via trucks, unlike Turkey and other countries," Al Zeiny says.

Not only did the quantity increase, but the cement pricing also rose. Since the start of the year it went from around some $50 per tonne to over $60 per tonne, further adding to the increase of exports revenue.

Egypt's proximity to Libya, however, still does not give Egyptian steel a major advantage, says El-Zeini, who reveals that "Egyptian steel exports to Libya are somehow limited because Turkey offers considerably better prices."

Over the first nine months of 2012, Egypt's total exports reached some LE97 billion ($16 bn), according to the latest figure from the Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade. This is a drop of around 20 per cent below last year, where exports reached $21 billion, according to central bank data.

In June, the trade deficit surged to 49 per cent, or LE 17.9 billion over the last year, according to the latest period for which data is available.

IRAN: Iran’s cement, clinker exports surpass 6m tons

Iran exported over 6.8 million tons of cement and clinker during the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 20, the IRNA News Agency reported on Saturday.

The exports grew by 26.4 percent compared to the same period last year.

Exports of cement and clinker amounted to 1.21 million tons in the sixth calendar month of Shahrivar, which ended on September 21.

Iran plans to produce 75 million tons of cement by the end of the current year, the deputy industry minister, Vajihollah Jafari told the ISNA News Agency on September 14.

Iran produced over 66.4 million tons of cement in the past calendar year, showing 8 percent rise compared to the year before.

Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari has said that the country's cement production capacity will reach 110 million tons by 2015.

He added that Iran holds two percent of the world’s total mineral reserves.

Some 5,000 mines are being exploited in the country, he said, adding that around 340 million tons of minerals were extracted in the past year.

The deputy head of Iran's Geology and Mineral Exploration Organization Behrouz Borna has said that the country ranks first in the Middle East for possessing the region's largest mineral reserves,.