The Abu Dhabi Executive Council has approved plans to build two new industrial cities in Al Ruwais and Madinat Zayed in Abu Dhabi, Gulf News has reported. The Al Ruwais industrial city will cover 14 sq km, and is designed to promote the chemical, petrochemical, plastic, cement and building material industries, as well as oil and gas services and logistic and commercial assistance services. The Madinat Zayed Industrial City, spread over 2.5 sq km will primarily focus on the oil and gas services, food industries and logistic services.

In December 2011, ZAB Zementanlagenbau GmbH Dessau, a subsidiary of KHD Humboldt Wedag GmbH, carried out a successful performance test of the 3000 tpd rotary kiln plant that was recently constructed on a greenfield in Novotroizk, Russia, at the JUGPK company. In addition to the raw materials usually used for producing clinker, limestone and clay, a large percentage of blastfurnace slag is processed at this kiln plant. The slag is accumulated as waste in the nearby steel complex, where it is piled up in huge quantities. Although this slag has already undergone thermal treatment, it still contains residual organic and combustible components. The presence of the organic and combustible residue in the slag results in a lower demand for purchased fuel during the clinker production process. Additionally, the use of precalcined slag as a replacement for some of the raw material results in decreased heat consumption and, in-turn, lower CO2 emissions. In this performance test, the following results were achieved: Clinker production: 3000 tpd (guaranteed); 3023 tpd (achieved). Specific electrical power consumption: 15 kWh/t (guaranteed); 13.2 kWh/t (achieved). Specific heat consumption: 2993 kJ/kg clinker (guaranteed); 2495 kJ/kg clinker (achieved). 715 kJ/kg clinker (guaranteed); 596 kJ/kg clinker (achieved). Clean gas particle concentration at the ESP kiln/preheater: In combined operation: < 30 mg/Nm3 (guaranteed); 2.26 mg/Nm3 (achieved). In direct operation: < 30 mg/Nm3 (guaranteed); 18.6 mg/Nm3 (achieved). Clean gas particle concentration at clinker cooler: < 30 mg/Nm3 (guaranteed); 1 mg/Nm3 (achieved). The measured clean gas particle concentration in the exhaust air was significantly lower than the standard values applicable in Russia for new plants. KHD scope of delivery The scope of delivery, with regard to KHD products and services, extends from raw material storage and preparation, to clinker production, cement production and storage, cement loading (including packing services), all associated dust removal systems, as well as the automation and control station technology. The 3 kiln line is provided with the following core equipment with KHD design: Roller Press RP 13 – 170/140 with V- separator and static LS- separator. 5-stage preheater with Pyroclon® R- calciner and tertiary air duct. Two-tyre Pyrorapid® rotary kiln Ø 4.4 m x 52 m long, with Pyro-Jet® burner. Pyrofloor® clinker cooler with 73 m2 cooling surface and clinker crusher. All system fans. The cement grinding system is provided with the following core equipment with KHD design: Ball mill Ø 5.0 m x 14.5 m, power capacity 6000 kW. High efficiency separator SKS-Z 3250. System fan. The guaranteed values of the throughput rate for the cement grinding system have already been verified for the customer, JUGPK. The following result was achieved. Cement grinding system throughput rate at a fineness of 3300 cm2/g: 155 tph (guaranteed); 168 tph (achieved). JUGPK has commissioned a second kiln line from KHD/ZAB that is identical to the first and will run in parallel. This second kiln line is currently being assembled, and it is expected to be brought into service in the second half of this year.

Siam Cement, which is looking for opportunities to buy assets in Southeast Asia, expected to conclude details about the deal in the second half of this year, Chief Executive Kan Trakulhoon told reporters. Earlier, the country s top industrial conglomerate reported an 81 percent fall in quarterly net profit, hit by weak activity because of flooding plus changes in government taxation. ($1 = 31.75 Baht)

Sandvik s new ceramic liners for screening operations helped boost productivity at a quarry in the UK. Construction materials supplier Hanson - a subsidiary of Heidelberg Cement - replaced the existing quenched steel liners at its In gleton quarry site in Yorkshire, northern England, with the ceramic inserts. The company admited it was "initially sceptical" about Sandvik s solution to the problem of having to frequently change noisy steel wear protection plates used in the screening process, but was impressed by the results. Sandvik WT9200 ceramic wear protection plates for heavy duty work are intended for the toughest applications, with very high material flow containing coarse material. The ceramic wear plates have large and hard ceramic bricks, vulcanised into a matrix of wear resistant rubber. Due to its elastic properties, the rubber acts as a noise and impact dampener - making applications with a lot of impact possible without the risk of crushing the ceramic bricks. Initially, Sandvik replaced the 30mm steel backed rubber elements that Hanson had been using on the feedbox leading into the primary screen. Due to the heavy duty nature of the screening operation, these liners had to be changed every four months. In contrast, using the WT9200, 27mm thick ceramic liners resulted in 18 months of trouble free service, even though the application was very tough. Due to the extended life of the liners used on the primary screens feedbox, Hanson asked Sandvik to look at other applications that would benefit from the use of ceramic liners at the site. The discharge chute at the end of the screening operation was identified as a candidate - a wet application on a final 1.8m X 4.9m (6 ft x 16 ft) screen dealing with very fine material. The steel liner for this application lasted three months before having to be replaced, but the ceramic liners have now been in operation for over 12 months and are showing no signs of wear - freeing up many hours that would normally be spent replating. In addition, through the replacement of steel liners with WT9200 ceramic ones, Hanson has reduced the sound emissions emanating from their operation due to the dampening effect of the liners, reducing overall noise on site.

Cement arrivals in Gujarat during December 2011 have been the highest ever according to data compiled by the Cement Manufacturers Association ( CMA) and industry sources. At 18.55 lakh tonnes for the month of December 2011, the arrivals have surpassed the previous all time high of 16.87 lakh tonnes posted in March 2011. Gujarat has seen a 30% jump in demand for cement from 14.23 lakh tonnes in December 2010 and it is higher by 11% over the previous November month arrivals of 16.67 lakh tonnes. For the nine months period ended December 31, 2011 the cement arrivals in Gujarat stood at 130.14 lakh tonnes, an 18% increase over 110.23 lakh tonnes for the previous nine months ended December 31, 2010. Explaining the reasons behind the record cement demand, Sanghi Industries, director, Alok Sanghi said, "In the past too the December month has witnessed high demand for cement in Gujarat. But, the last month all previous records were broken. A spurt in demand from infrastructure and government projects have led to this record cement arrivals from within and outside Gujarat." The company has a three million tonnes per annum capacity plant in the Abdasa taluka of Kutch district in Gujarat.

(Kansas) -- On the eve of beginning its 100th year of operation in 2012, Ash Grove s recently reconstructed Foreman, Ark., cement plant earned the ISO 14001 certification in December 2011, marking the last of the company s eight clinker manufacturing facilities to achieve the designation and making it the only domestic cement maker to have achieved this distinction. In 2010, the other seven Ash Grove facilities earned the certification, administered by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) and requiring companies to adopt a rigorous, systematic environmental management system customized to the needs unique to its facilities and subject it to continuous improvement. Once such a program is implemented, certified third-party auditors conduct an extensive audit to verify compliance with the ISO standards before certification is granted and follow up with annual assurance audits. In addition to the Foreman location, Ash Grove s ISO 14001 certified plants are located in Chanute, Kan.; Durkee, Ore.; Leamington, Utah; Louisville, Nebr.; Midlothian, Texas; Montana City, Mont.; and Seattle. “We are pleased to have earned the ISO 14001 certification for all of our plants. The certification validates all of the work Ash Grove has done to create and maintain our environmental management systems. Our commitment to earning the certification is a cornerstone of our environmental leadership program,” said Curtis Lesslie, PE, vice president of environmental affairs.

Ghana s leading producer of cement, GHACEM, says the industry saw a record 22% growth in 2011 relative to 2010, attributing this to the robust economic growth witnessed in the country in the year under review. The Managing Director of GHACEM, Mr. Morten Gade made this known in Takoradi at GHACEM s 2011 event to award some 55 distributors and customers (including those in the mining sector and transporters who haul their products to various depots) for their support to the company s growth. Mr. Morten said GHACEM; a market leader for over 44 years obtained a respectable share of the market with the support of its hardworking customers hence the need for their efforts to be appreciated. He disclosed that GHACEM was investing in some expansion works to improve its production capacity at both the Takoradi and Tema Plants to meet the huge demand expected this year. GHACEM being mindful of the positive growth in the cement industry has already invested an additional capacity of one million tonnes to bring the thermal plant to 3.2 million tonnes. I am happy to announce that the new mill will be up and running by November 2012 and plans are far ahead to increase Takoradi capacity shortly thereafter. This is being undertaken alongside the replacement of the two silos at the Takoradi factory this year . He pointed out that the Western Region s consumption of cement in 2011 nearly compared to that of the national level due to the oil activities. The discovery of the oil in Ghana creates accelerated development of the economy and GHACEM. As a market leader in the cement industry, we will continue to play a leading role in nation building. It is worth noting that the emerging oil industry contributed to a higher growth in the cement consumption of the Western Region compared to the national average. This region will most likely become one of the key markets of Ghana in addition to the key markets of Greater Accra and the Ashanti Region Mr. Gade noted. Mr. Gade said the commercial Division of GHACEM is well positioned for any competition in the industry. He said the company was also mindful of its corporate social responsibilities and has through the GHACEM Foundation given support to needy institutions and communities in the areas of education and health. The Chairman of the Cement Distributors Association in Takoradi, Mr. Michael Agyekum Oduro in a speech read on his behalf, applauded the management of GHACEM for fairly distributing the products amongst the various distributors and asked that measures are put in place to address any shortage that is likely to be experienced this year in anticipation of huge demand for the product. Whilst commending the management for giving them prior notice of the recent increase in the price of the product from GHS13.00 to GHS14.00, they appealed to them to asphalt the road that leads to the Takoradi factory since the dust emanating from the area affects them greatly.

Indonesia s cement association (ASI) has reported that the country’s cement sales grew 17% in 2011, with total domestic sales reaching 47.9 million t. The association’s Chairman, Urip Trimuryono, attributed the result to Indonesia’s strong economic growth last year, as well as a decline in exports, which led domestic suppliers to prioritise the domestic market. The country’s cement exports dropped 59.1% to 1.2 million t. The association has forecasted a 6% rise in cement sales this year. Teguh Hartanto, an analyst at Bahana Securities, is reported to have said: "We believe the 2012 outlook for cement remains promising, supported by the land-clearing law and continued strong property demand on the back of a continued low interest rate environment." The positive outlook follows the country’s land acquisition bill, signed in December 2011. It is hoped that this bill will break the infrastructure bottleneck that has been halting the country’s growth.

According to the Al Eqtisadiah business daily, ministry inspection teams and police swooped in on businesses in Jeddah and other parts of the western region on January 5, arrested at least 14 people and seizing ten trucks. The raids followed reports about unreasonable price hikes of cement in Jeddah and other cities of the region. The price of a cement bag rose to SAR18 from SAR15 ($4.80 - $4) at Jeddah market – which sparked widespread anxiety among distributors and customers over possible further price increases. The cost of cement in Saudi Arabia is strictly governed, as are exports of the product. A ban on cement exports in from Saudi Arabia three years ago put in place to ensure the kingdom has enough cement supplies for its vast construction projects. This includes a ban on cement exports to all countries except Bahrain, where weekly exports were halved from 50,000 to 25,000 tonnes. The restrictions also stipulated that local cement companies were required to keep 10% of their products in reserves, and that they would sell bagged cement in the domestic market at $52 per tonne. Following the raids, the ministry has issued directives throughout the kingdom to further intensify market monitoring. The branches have also been instructed to send daily reports to the ministry about market conditions to ensure stability of cement prices. According to a government official, the ministry has been in touch with all cement factories in the Kingdom asking them to provide specific details about production and supply in the local market. He said that "All the companies have assured us that they would make available an adequate supply of cement at moderate prices and that was in coordination with the ministry. They have also informed us that their prices would continue to remain the same."

Saudi Arabia s Yanbu Cement has reported a 54% increase in fourth quarter profit to SR143.4m, on higher sales and output from its fifth production line, The National has reported. The company posted SR125m in net income in the third quarter of 2011.

Indian conglomerate J K Cement has launched the construction of a new cement factory in Fujairah with an investment of Dhs550m, Gulf News has reported. The plant will have a capacity of 600,000 tonnes per annum of white cement with a flexibility to change its operation to produce up to one million tonnes per annum of grey cement. The factory will be commissioned in 2013.

Prolonged fuel crisis has started affecting development works and operation of large scale industries in the district. Large scale cement factories that were planning to launch their products by Feb said fuel shortage has badly impacted their preparations, forcing them to postpone their plans. These industries have the capacity to substantially replace cement imports. Similarly, road expansion project in the district has also been affected. The crisis has rendered thousands of daily wage workers jobless. Entrepreneurs, who were using fuel to supplement the electricity crisis, are now left with no option but to temporarily shut down the operation till the crisis gets over. We were using generator for the industry since there is no regular electricity supply, Bikash Sharma, coordinator of Ghorahi Cement Factory, said. He said works in the factory has been affected since the last month. The factory needs 4,000 liters diesel everyday. We can work round the clock if we have diesel in sufficient quantity. Now, it is difficult for us to operate for even eight hours, Sharma added. He further added that there would be no alternative to shutting down the factory if the crisis continued for another month. Ghorahi Cement Factory is targeting to produce 120 tons of cement everyday. Sharma said 2,500 employees of the factory were staying idle. Along with diesel, the factory is also facing shortage of LPG cylinder. According to officials, the factory needs at least 50 cylinders everyday. Officials of Sonapur Cement echoed Sharma We are doing only the works that can be done without machines, Basu Pandey, director of Sonapur Cement, said. As we have not brought our machines into operation owing to lack of diesel, many workers are sitting idle, he added. Sonapur Cement requires 2,000 liters of petrol everyday to continue its normal work. It was preparing to launch its products in the market within few weeks. Established with the investment of Rs 3.5 billion, the company was targeting to replace cement imports from India by 10 percent. It will start with production capacity of 700 tons a day.

Saudi cement manufacturer Yamama has unveiled plans to increase its capital by 50% through a bonus share issue, Reuters has reported. The firm will increase its capital to SR2.025bn ($540m) from SR1.35bn, Yamama said. "Such increase will be paid by transferring an amount of SR675m from additional reserve to the company s capital," it added.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is providing a US$50 million loan to cement and construction materials supplier Lafarge to support the French company’s cement subsidiary in northern Iraq and spur economic recovery in the post-conflict country. IFC’s loan to Bazian Cement Company is supplemented by an additional US$20 million loan by Proparco, a development financial institution funded by private shareholders and the Agence Francaise de Développement. As Iraq emerges from over two decades of conflict, construction needs are great, with large investments expected in key projects such as housing, schools and roads. The loan will help increase the supply of quality cement and reduce the acute domestic supply gap. IFC and Proparco will also work with the company to implement an environmental and social strategy to help align the company with international sustainability standards. “This financing will help address the cement shortage that the country urgently needs to build key infrastructure, and will play a catalytic role in attracting other potential foreign investors into other sectors in Iraq, increasing much-needed foreign direct investment into the country,” said Dimitris Tsitsiragos, IFC Vice President for Eastern and Southern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa. Last year, IFC committed US$2 billion worth of investments, including mobilisation, in the Middle East and North Africa. Many of those initiatives were designed to spur economic development and promote investment in countries whose economies have struggled in the wake of recent political developments. Over the next three to four years, IFC expects to invest up to US$6 billion, including US$2 billion in mobilisation, in the Middle East and North Africa.

Sri Lankan cement producer Tokyo Cement, the largest of only two local cement manufacturers, will continue its revenue growth over the short to medium term, according to ratings agency RAM. This is a result of a positive oulook for the construction industry, which is the cement industry s biggest customer, and follows economic growth, as well as the company s "revenue and the output of the country s construction sector [recording] a positive correlation of 0.85 for the past 6 years." RAM also noted that two local companies, Tokyo Cement included, "supply around half of the cement in Sri Lanka" while the rest is serviced by importers. RAM s forecast was made in recent ratings announcement wherein the agency also upheld Tokyo Cement s corporate credit rating of "A," for the long term, with a stable outlook, and "P2," for the short term. Further, RAM also stated that Tokyo Cement s ratings were "supported by its sizable market share, its healthy balance sheet, and the healthy debt coverage levels." However, also noted, ratings were further "moderated by the inability to immediately pass on cost increases to the end-customer, funding mismatch and the exposure to the cyclical nature of the construction industry." Additionally indicated was Tokyo Cement s Operating Profit before Depreciation Interest and Tax (OPBDIT) rose to Rs. 2.06 billion during the financial year ending March 31, 2011. This follows a fall, from Rs. 2.30 billion, during the same period in 2009, to Rs. 1.63 billion in 2010. RAM also cautioned that the cement manufacturer and seller "relied heavily on short-term borrowings to finance its capital expenditure. As a result, its short-term funds to total borrowings stood at 73.13% as at end-March 2011 compared to 66.25% last year. This together with the group s low cash holdings translated into a low short-term funds to cash and cash equivalents ( CCE ) ratio of 0.08 times." On the other hand, RAM also tempered this negative sentiment by stating that it "derives some comfort" from Tokyo Cement s "short operating cashflow cycle which has remained below one month and its healthy annual [funds from operations] generation of around Rs. 2 billion."