UK: Strong UK sales cement 'encouraging' profit trend at Grafton Group

GRAFTON Group, the building materials supplier that owns outlets such as Woodies DIY and Atlantic Homecare, said its profitability was "well ahead" in the third quarter compared to the corresponding period last year, as sales in the UK strengthened.

Releasing an interim management statement yesterday, Grafton said sales for the quarter to the end of October were up 4.5pc to €546m compared to €522m in the third quarter last year.

The increase followed a comparative rise recorded by the group in the second quarter, when sales climbed to €535m from €520m year on year. In the first quarter of the current year, revenue had fallen 5.5pc year on year to €444m.

Total revenue in the period to the end of October was €1.7bn, up slightly from €1.69bn in the first 10 months of 2009.

Improving trend

The trend of an improvement in profitability has continued into the current quarter.

Grafton's UK merchanting sales for the year to the end of October were up 6pc, compared to a 5pc rise by the end of June. It added that while Irish merchanting sales continue to fall, the rate of decline continued to ease as the year progressed.

Sales in Grafton's retail business in Ireland fell 7pc in the year to the end of October, similar to the performance in the first half of the year, it said.

Group manufacturing sales were 3pc lower in the year to the end of October compared to a 7pc decline in the first six months of 2010. The company added that its Irish merchanting arm has returned to a break-even position.

In the UK, Grafton owns building materials outlets trading under brands such as Plumbase, Buildbase and Jackson, while in Ireland it also operates the Chadwicks and Heiton Buckley outlets.

NCB is forecasting that Grafton's full-year sales will grow 2pc to almost €2.02bn, with UK merchanting sales forecast to advance 7.6pc to €1.4bn.

Davy analyst Flor O'Donoghue said the year-on-year growth in the third quarter was slightly behind the 6pc top-line growth he's expecting for the second half. However, he said the trend is "encouraging".

VIETNAM: MOC: cement plants not the culprit that causes electricity shortage

VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tran Nam has officially denied the opinion that cement plants, which, using backward technologies, gobble up too much electricity and cause electricity shortages.

I 2010, when the electricity shortage became serious, people not only criticized Electricity of Vietnam for not fulfilling its duty of providing enough electricity to enterprises and people, but also accused steel and cement plants of using too much electricity, thus leading to the serious electricity shortage. However, the Ministry of Construction has denied this.

What are your comments on the opinion that the current serious electricity shortage has been caused by cement plants which are consuming too much electricity?

Right after hearing the information, we have checked the figures about the volume of electricity consumed by cement plants. In order to make one ton of cement, cement plants need 98 kwh. The cement industry plans to produce 50 million tons of cement in 2010, this means that the total volume of electricity needed will be about $4.9 billion kwh. Meanwhile, Electricity of Vietnam has forecasted that Vietnam will consume 85 billion kwh of electricity this year. This means that the cement industry only consumes 5.7 percent of the total electricity to be consumed this year. The figure of 5.7 percent is really not a big proportion, especially noting that cement production is a key industry.

You may have heard the criticism that because of the bad programming and forecasting, the cement output has far exceeded the domestic demand, while cement producers cannot export their products. What would you say about that?

The overall cement industry development program until 2010 was approved by the Prime Minister in 1997. Just after five years, or in 2002, after observing the market performance experts realized that the forecasted volume ofbcement consumption in the program was “more modest than the reality”. The problem is that though the cement output increased sharply, the consumption level also increased very rapidly thanks to high economic development.

Therefore, in 2005, in order to meet the demand for industrialization and modernization processes, and to satisfy a high demand for transport infrastructure development, irrigation work, civil and industrial works, the Prime Minister requested to build up the overall cement industry development program for the second time. 

Why does the cement industry development program need adjustments? It is because of the bad forecasting?

I have to say that all the forecast figures about the supply and demand are accurate and they fit the market performance. We have to adjust the development program because the industry needs to make breakthroughs to meet the requirements set for a certain period of development. This is a change that is in line with the development laws, and we must not blame on the bad forecasting.

After 2010, i.e after a five-year period, we will also have to continue building up a new development program for 2011-2020 with a vision until 2030. This is a that program that every industry has to do, not only the cement industry.

Experts have rung the alarm bell over the cement overproduction. Is the oversupply accurate?

The answer is that cement plants can sell their products as soon as they churn out. The current inventory volume of cement nationwide is just equal to the volume of 10 days of production. Enterprises now have 10 percent in stocks, but this volume will be mainly carried to the southern market.

The special characteristic of Vietnam’s cement market is that while most of the material mines are located in the north, but the biggest cement demand is in the south. Southern provinces consume 50 percent of the total cement output. Meanwhile, the sale seasons are quite different in the north and in the south. Therefore, it may happen that cement products are deficient at some moments and excessive at other moments.

THAILAND: Siam Cement chief expects economy to grow 4-5% next year

Siam Cement president Kan Trakulhoon on Thursday projected that the Thai economy will expand 4-5 per cent next year, which could contribute to the higher growth of both the agricultural and cement business sectors.

Given the continued economic expansion, he said the demand for cement for construction would increase.

In the past few years, he revealed, the local demand for cement in provincial areas had surged to 60 per cent while that in Bangkok metropolitan dropped to 40 per cent due partly to political and economic woes.

Mr Kan acknowledged that overall cement demand had declined each year from 2006 through 2009.

However, in the fourth quarter of 2009, demand turned and began edging up, signaling a sound recovery of the Thai economy, he said. 

Siam Cement is the largest cement company in Thailand, founded under royal decree in 1913, and now has six core business units: chemicals, paper, cement, building materials and distribution. The company is controlled by the Crown Property Bureau, which has 30% of Siam Cement's shares.

PARAGUAY: Escasa entrega de cemento por INC genera conflicto entre distribuidores

El escaso despacho de la Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC) provocó ayer un conflicto entre distribuidores, quienes hasta se tomaron a golpes en la oficina central de la estatal. Ayer se tenía previsto entregar solamente 30.000 bolsas del material de construcción, según los datos oficiales.

Funcionarios de la INC presenciaron el disturbio entre los “depositeros” y, según fuentes de la entidad, el motivo serían los privilegios de algunas personas que siempre aparecen en la lista de distribución, en detrimento de otras que desde hace semanas no están incluidas. Los ánimos se habrían calmado recién con la llegada de la policía, según los datos proveídos a ABC. 

Mínimo despacho 

En las últimas semanas, la cementera viene registrando una mínima entrega de menos de 20.000 bolsas por día. Solo anteayer se entregó alrededor de 35.266 y para ayer se tenía previsto despachar aproximadamente 30.000 bolsas del material de construcción. Pero la semana pasada se llegó a entregar incluso menos de 15.000 bolsas por día.

Estas cantidades son escasas, teniendo en cuenta que en épocas de producción normal la INC entrega entre 50.000 y 55.000 bolsas de cemento por día, de lunes a viernes. Pero ahora la situación es irregular debido al nuevo paro del horno de clínker, por desgaste de los ladrillos refractarios. 

Según los técnicos de la planta de Vallemí, esta paralización se registró en la madrugada del domingo anterior y el motivo sería la utilización de un combustible de mala calidad, semanas atrás, y los constantes paros del horno, sin la realización los mantenimientos correspondientes.

El director de fábrica de Villeta, Silvio Delgado, informó que aguardan la llegada de barcazas de clínker, cuyo arribo se prevía para la noche de ayer.

Una barcaza de 2.530 toneladas de clínker estaría llegando y a 30 kilómetros de la misma se encuentra otra, con 2.615 toneladas del insumo para la molienda.

Señaló que la bajante del río está retrasando la llegada de los cargamentos y se ven en la necesidad de realizar desalijes para que el clínker llegue a la planta.

No reiniciarán marcha 

Los técnicos de mando medio de Vallemí informaron a nuestro diario que no reiniciarán la marcha del horno hasta tanto la INC les entregue los más de G. 445 millones que se les adeuda desde junio pasado, en concepto de trabajos en horas extra y bonificaciones.

Indicaron que las autoridades prevén retomar la producción de clínker en los próximos días, pero no habrá seguridad en la marcha. Esto atendiendo a que en lugar de cambiar 35 metros de ladrillos refractarios, que es lo necesario, solamente reemplazarán 6,80 metros.

ESPAÑA: El consumo de cemento cae un 14,7% hasta octubre por la crisis y el parón constructor

El consumo de cemento cayó un 14,7% en los diez primeros meses del año en comparación con el mismo periodo de 2009, hasta situarse en 21,04 millones de toneladas, como consecuencia de la crisis y el parón en la construcción, tanto residencial como de infraestructuras, según informó Oficemen.

La patronal indica que estos datos suponen volver a cifras de 1987 y equivalen a un consumo 'per cápita' de unos 560 kilos anuales, "un ratio muy alejado de lo que se podría considerar una situación normal en los países mediterráneos de la UE".

En cuanto al pasado mes de octubre, el sector de la construcción absorbió 2,16 millones de toneladas de cemento, un 15,3% menos, en línea con el descenso de septiembre.

Ante estos datos, las cementeras radicadas en España continuaron ajustando su producción, de forma que en los diez primeros meses del año se redujo en un 11,37%, hasta los 22,27 millones de toneladas.

Además, entre los pasados meses de enero y octubre, las exportaciones de cemento y clinker crecieron un 33,2%, hasta los 3,26 millones de toneladas. Por contra, las importaciones se contrajeron en un 25,8% (1,78 millones toneladas).

INDIA: Lower demand and decline in prices hit cement companies

Lower demand, fresh supplies from newly commissioned plants and the resultant drag in prices besides the monsoon all acted as dampeners to the September quarter results of cement companies.

At 3.4% despatches grew at the slowest pace in several quarters. Sales growth slowed and profits dropped sharply in the July to September period.

Construction activities came to a standstill in monsoon prone pockets, disrupting offtake. It may be recalled that last year, cement manufacturers saw unusually high despatches in the same period due to scanty rainfall.

Prices too weren't supportive to the manufacturers in this season. Lower demand and the newly commissioned capacities resulted in all India average prices declining by close to INR 15 to INR 20 for 50 kg bag compared with a year ago. In the Southern region though there was a price increase by manufacturers in the later half of the September month, it didn't help.

All major players Ambuja Cements, ACC, UltraTech Cement, Shree Cement and Madras Cement saw their net profits fall by over 50% in the September quarter on a YoY basis. Higher coal, fly ash and transportation costs too hurt profits.

Lower realisation and poor offtake impacted sales growth. ACC saw sales drop by 17% even as the southern cement major Madras Cement saw a decline of 21%.

While demand was lower than a year ago, players such as Ambuja Cements and Jaiprakash Associates bucked this trend and managed good volume growth on early commissioning of their new capacities ahead of the others thus capturing a higher share of the market.

However, Shree Cement, which too had recently added a total of 3.6 million tonne per annum capacity (clinker units in Uttarakhand and Rajasthan) couldn't manage higher volumes.

Even as few players managed limited volume growth, the steep price correction spoiled the overall growth picture. Prices in the South fell sharply by INR 40 to INR 45 a bag compared to a year earlier.

In Northern pockets, price was down by around INR 15 to INR 20 a bag

BOLIVIA: Instalación de planta de cemento puede generan 5 mil empleos en Jaranzaya

La Paz, 14 Nov (Erbol).- En la comunidad Norte Jaranzaya del municipio Puerto Acosta, provincia Camacho del departamento de La Paz, la población está esperanzada con la instalación de una planta se cemento que genere cinco mil empleos, informó el secretario de Actas de esa región, Jacinto Surco Taboada.

Según el dirigente, la demanda se hizo conocer al gobernador de La Paz, César Cocarico, tras la celebración del 102 aniversario de la provincia Camacho.

“Lo hicimos conocer al gobernador Cocarico, porque sería de vital importancia ya que con la instalación de la planta se va generar cinco mil empleos, para ello nos asociaremos y formaremos un sindicato colectivo”, apuntó.

Explicó que en Norte Jaranzaya se cuentan con dos cerros: Catahucollo y Chapisani, ambos con abundante piedra caliza que puede ser explotada y aprovechada con la instalación de una planta de cemento en esa región.

“Esperamos que el compromiso de palabra de nuestras autoridades sea una realidad dentro de poco, porque con la planta de cemento apostamos al desarrollo de nuestra comunidad, pero en realidad será para toda la provincia Camacho”, señaló el dirigente campesino a la Agencia de Noticias Indígenas de la Red Erbol.

BOLIVIA: Importación de cemento favoreció sólo a La Paz y Cochabamba

Santa Cruz, 15 Nov (Erbol).- Constructores denunciaron que la importación de cemento que realiza el gobierno nacional a causa de la escasez de ese producto, favoreció solamente a La Paz y Cochabamba.

“A nosotros no nos ha ayudado en ningún sentido, porque la importación de cemento no llegó a Santa Cruz, solo llegó a La Paz y Cochabamba, se olvidaron de nosotros”, dijo Edilberto Egües, presidente de la Federación de Trabajadores de la Construcción de Santa Cruz.

Manifestó, en declaraciones recogidas por Santa Cruz de la Red Erbol, su preocupación por las muchas familias de constructores cruceños que no tendrán unas promisorias fiestas de fin de año.

Egües pidió al gobierno facilitar a los constructores de Santa Cruz la importación directa de cemento a fin de evitar mayores daños al sector. 

“Nosotros hemos pedido a través de la Brigada Parlamentaria que se nos abra las fronteras. Si el gobierno no tiene la capacidad de importar que nos de la libertad para que nosotros los constructores importemos sin arancel y para que no llegue tan caro al mercado y las construcciones no se paren”, precisó.

Agregó que cada día que se paraliza una obra representa desocupar al menos a cinco obreros, pues en una obra mínimo trabajan entre cinco y siete personas.

INDIA: Cement sales up 18% in October

Domestic cement companies registered a phenomenal sales growth in October, despite a lull in major infrastructure projects. The 275 million-tonne industry witnessed a rise of 18.54 per cent in its sales volumes at 18.22 million tonnes of cement.

This is the highest since August last year, when the industry grew a little over 17.2 per cent. Generally, such high growth is recorded in the peak months when construction activities increase (January-March).

Production, too, was on the rise to 18.75 per cent at 18.49 million tonnes in October.

Industry experts said the growth is not on the back of real demand, but an artificial demand prompted by stocking up of building material by dealers and consumers anticipating a further price rise in the coming weeks.

In a note, India Infoline said, “A low base in the previous year, seasonal improvment in demand and re-stocking demand on account of rising prices is likely to have increased despatch growth.”

According to cement dealers, end-user demand, particularly in the residential segment continues to be sluggish, due to a sharp rise in prices over the past few months.

In October, the national average price of the building commodity rose by Rs 20 from Rs 220 to Rs 240 for a 50 kg bag.

Industry analysts said this was due to a disciplined approach of the companies. Sources had told Business Standard that the south-based cement manufacturers had reached a consensus for a production cut to maintain prices before the start of the current quarter.

“This is not the true demand scenario. Couple of few more months would bring the real picture,” said a Mumbai-based cement analyst.

Industry experts said there was no justification for cement stocks to rise as demand was not on the recovery mode. “Moreover, ability to sustain price hikes is questionable as more and more capacities go on stream resulting into oversupply.”

FRANCIA: LAFARGE : Places a One Billion Euros Bond

Lafarge (Paris:LG) placed today, under its Euro Medium-Term Note program, a one billion euros bond with an 8 year maturity and fixed annual coupon of 5.375% to institutional investors.

The proceeds of this transaction will be used to refinance part of the Group's existing debt.

The settlement and issuance of the bond are expected to occur on November 29, 2010.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Lafarge is the world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in all of its businesses: Cement, Aggregates & Concrete and Gypsum. With more than 78,000 employees in 78 countries, Lafarge posted sales of Euros 15.9 billion in 2009.

In 2010 and for the sixth year in a row, Lafarge was listed in the ?Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World'. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity.

Additional information is available on the web site at www.lafarge.com

AFRICA: East African Portland Cement Plans Uganda Factory, Standard Says

East African Portland Cement Ltd. plans to start building a 10 billion-shilling ($125 million) cement factory in Uganda next year, the Standard reported, citing Chairman Mark ole Karbolo.

East African Portland Cement, which is based in Nairobi, Kenya, needs shareholder approval before starting construction of the plant, which is also expected to supply cement to Rwanda, Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Nairobi-based newspaper reported.

INDIA: HeidelbergCement India Seeks Joint Ventures for Coal

HeidelbergCement India Ltd., a unit of the world’s third-largest cement maker, is seeking to form joint ventures to secure coal supplies for a planned 12 billion rupee ($265 million) expansion.

The local unit of Germany’s Heidelberg AG plans to double capacity to 6 million tons by 2012 to tap demand that is expected to grow as much as 10 percent annually over the next five years, Managing Director Ashish Guha said. The company used coal worth 740 million rupees ($16 million) in 2009, according to its annual report.

“We will have to link our coal supply to someone for long- term supply or get into a joint venture to look into mining,” Guha said in an interview. “Given our current capacity, coal mine sizes are too large for us to mine on our own.”

HeidelbergCement India shares fell 1.6 percent to 48.55 rupees as of 2:34 p.m. in Mumbai. The stock has advanced 8 percent this year, compared with a 14 percent gain in the benchmark index.

The company, based in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of New Delhi, has four plants in India.

Indian cement makers will raise capacity to about 375 million metric tons in the next five years as the government increases spending on building highways, ports, airports and utilities, Guha said. Asia’s third-largest economy needs to spend about $1 trillion on infrastructure from April 2012 to March 2017, twice the amount the nation’s Planning Commission recommended in the previous five years.

EEUU: Cemex Climbs Most in 2 Weeks as U.S. Data Shows Improved Outlook

Cemex SAB, the largest cement maker in the Americas, climbed the most in two weeks after reports on manufacturing and jobless claims in the U.S. signaled an improved economic outlook.

Cemex gained 2.2 percent to 11.35 pesos in Mexico City trading at 1:21 p.m. New York time, the biggest jump since Nov. 4. The shares have advanced 4.9 percent this month.

The U.S. Labor Department reported initial jobless claims increased less than forecast by 439,000 in the week ended Nov. 13. Manufacturing in the Philadelphia region expanded in November at the fastest pace this year.

“If you’re waiting for a recovery in the company’s results, in the company’s finances, this depends principally on the performance of its U.S. operations,” said Carlos Hermosillo, an analyst with Grupo Financiero Banorte, in a telephone interview from Mexico City.

The company posted a fourth straight quarter of losses in the three months ended Sept. 30.

Mexico’s benchmark IPC index rose 1 percent to 36,215.16.

AFRICA: KENYA: Kenya's Devki Steel Mills to Build $449 Million Plant, Standard Reports

Devki Steel Mills Ltd., a Kenyan steel company, plans to build a 36 billion-shilling ($449- million) plant able to process 250,000 metric tons of iron ore a year, the Standard said, citing an unidentified company official.

Devki acquired a 300-acre (121-hectare) plot in the Taita area of Coast Province to construct the plant, which will be near raw materials including iron ore, the Nairobi-based newspaper reported today.

CHINA: Anhui Conch Cement: Gross Margin to Hit New Record In 4Q

Anhui Conch Cement (600585) said its gross margin is expected to set a new record high in the fourth quarter this year, up from 29.19 percent in the third quarter, reports caijing.com.cn, citing the firm's securities representative Yang Kaifa.

The fourth quarter is traditionally the high season for cement sales in eastern and southern China, Yang said. Conch Cement launched a nationwide price hike between September and October by between 10-50 yuan per ton.

The company put into use five new cement production lines in the second half year.

According to the company's latest report, eastern and southern regions respectively contributed 37 percent and 24 percent of total revenue.

INDIA: Impasse continues at Ambuja plants in Himachal

Swiss cement major Holim-owned Ambuja Cements continues to face deadlock with the truckers who have stopped transporting cement from its two units in Himachal Pradesh.

As the strike by transporters has entered its second month, production of the cement at company's Suli and Rauri plant have been completely shut.

Truckers have been demanding for a rise in transport rates, which Ambuja says is way above the increase which was agreed as per the cost adjustment formula to settle freight increases.

"Not only have they (transporters) stopped transporting the goods, they have discouraged the use of other transporters. Consequently there has been a complete stoppage of cement and clinker dispatches as well as the receipt of incoming materials since first week of October," said Ambuja Cements in a statement today.

However, the company sounded pessimistic regarding meeting a solution with the strikers. "We cannot exclude that the impasse might continue and the dispatches of cement from both plants will continue to suffer and only slowly to return to more normal levels when alternative arrangements are in place," added the company.

AFRICA: Les cimentiers s’inscrivent dans le développement durable

Considérée jusqu’à ces dernières années comme une industrie très polluante, la cimenterie marocaine veut résolument se dépêtrer de cette étiquette. Les différents chantiers, menés par les ténors du secteur, sont autant d’actions pour reléguer aux oubliettes l’image de localités enfouies dans des déjections et des nuages de poussière.

L’industrie cimentière, à l’assaut de la pollution.

Il est admis que la fabrication du ciment, importante source de gaz à effet de serre, produit beaucoup de gaz carbonique (CO2) et des millions de tonnes de poussière chaque année à travers le monde. Il est utile de rappeler que le ciment, élément indispensable dans le bâtiment et les travaux publics (BTP), est un liant hydraulique, généralement sous forme de matière inorganique finement moulue. C’est aussi un constituant de base du béton. En outre, plusieurs métiers lui sont associés pour produire béton et granulats, de la chaux ou du plâtre. Vu sous cet angle, d‘aucuns l’assimilent à un mal nécessaire.

Solutions éprouvées

Au Maroc, où les ténors sont l’Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), Lafarge Maroc, Holcim Maroc, Ciments du Maroc du groupe Italcementi, c’est la même industrie qui est développée. Toutefois, il apparaît un effort d’ensemble afin que les cas de villes telles que Khouribga, Youssoufia, où tout était couvert de poussière, soient complètement révolus. En effet, signataire dès 1997 de la Charte de l’environnement, l’industrie cimentière marocaine s’est engagée à réduire sa consommation d’énergie d’origine fossile sans générer de transfert de pollution, répète-t-on à l’envi à l’APC (Association professionnelle des cimentiers du Maroc). Aussi, on ne peut leur enlever le fait que le ciment soit le premier produit certifié au Maroc. D’ailleurs, sa normalisation remonte à 1974, avec la création de la norme marocaine, NM 10.1.004, concernant les liants hydrauliques, leur composition, leurs spécifications et leurs critères de conformité. Depuis, avec un benchmarking quasi-continu, le secteur adopte des solutions éprouvées dans le monde, notamment une production de ciment mangeur de pollution, le recyclage et la valorisation des déchets (co-incinération de pneus, d’huiles usagées).

Au-delà du recyclé

Plus récemment, Holcim a récompensé, avec ses Holcim Awards, les constructions qui privilégient le développement durable (prix de 2 millions $ à l’architecte marocaine Aziza Chaouni et à l’urbaniste japonaise Takako Tajima). Lafarge, qui défend une utilisation de clinker bas carbone, a mis en route une nouvelle ligne de production sur son site de Tétouan, alimenté à l’énergie éolienne. Ciments du Maroc a engagé une certification ISO 14001 (toujours en cours).

Dans tous les cas, il est vrai qu’aux usines Holcim (production de ciment) et de Lafarge (plâtres), il n’y a pas de poussière, les matières moulues ou poudreuses étant aspergées d’eau.

Un devoir, une responsabilité

Pourtant, ces dernières années, l’industrie du ciment a connu des investissements sans précédents, atteignant plus de 17 milliards DH à fin 2011 (Asment Témara, Ciments du Maroc, Holcim et Lafarge Maroc), comprenant ceux à même de réaliser des performances environnementales en ligne avec les standards internationaux. Le cap des 10 millions de tonnes de ciment a été dépassé depuis 2005. Et les prévisions de la consommation en 2010, timides au début de l’année, avec à peine +1,1%, comparativement aux 17,6 millions de tonnes en 2009, seront sûrement dépassées. Avec le plan de relance des logements sociaux et la crise qui s’estompe tant bien que mal, jusqu’à créer une pénurie de ciment dans les villes de Fès, Casablanca, Rabat, Settat et Agadir à la mi-avril, les 18,2 millions de tonnes risquent d’être allègrement dépassées. Des observateurs avancent qu’un tel niveau de consommation implique des engagements d’égale importance, avec ou sans le soutien des pouvoirs publics. Fort heureusement, certains industriels, soucieux de la santé des populations, vont même jusqu’à rendre compte de leurs actions. Depuis 2001, un cimentier de la place publie un rapport de développement durable. D’autres établissements nouent des partenariats avec WWF sur les sujets environnementaux, et avec Responsible Care sur les questions de santé dans les pays en voie de développement.

PORTUGAL: Cimpor vai colocar obrigações a dez anos no mercado norte-americano

A Cimpor anunciou que vai fazer uma emissão de dívida no mercado norte-americano no valor de 150 milhões de dólares (111 milhões de euros).

Em comunicado enviado à Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários (CMVM) na terça-feira à noite, a Cimpor anunciou ter fixado o preço de uma colocação privada no mercado norte-americano de obrigações a dez anos a emitir pela sua subsidiária integral Cimpor Financial Operations B.V.

A operação, no valor de 150 milhões de dólares, «faz parte de um conjunto de operações de reforço da liquidez e alongamento da maturidade do passivo», refere a Cimpor.

A cimenteira diz que a emissão terá um cupão de 6,7 por cento, «o que compara favoravelmente com o custo do risco soberano».

AFRICA: ZIMBABWE-: PPC TO INVEST US$ 420 MILLION IN ZIMBABWE

The Zimbabwe government-owned newspaper, The Herald, reports that Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) says it will spend about US$ 429 million on capital projects over the next few years. PPC’s investment plan will see the expansion of production capacity at the Riebeck and De Hoek operations in the Western Cape, which will increase cement output by 50%. PPC has also replaced its clinker operations at Colleen Bawn to sustain high output following high demand for cement in Zimbabwe. The company says that demand for cement in Zimbabwe remained above 100%, although sales were lower in the second half of the year compared to the first six months of 2010. Local operations were severely affected by rolling power cuts and the upgrade at Colleen Bawn, which took longer than expected, resulting in the import of clinker from South Africa.

PPC said sales volumes declined 13% in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe as demand in Botswana and South Africa fell. Capital expenditure for the year under review totalled R658 million. The company said it would continue to invest in sub-Saharan Africa where development has not reached levels attained by South Africa. It will target the emerging markets of Mozambique, Angola, the DRC, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

PPC registered an operating profit of R2.1 billion, which was 13% down on the previous year after revenue totalled R6.8 billion in the full year to September.

INDIA: HeidelbergCement India Seeks Joint Ventures for Coal

HeidelbergCement India Ltd., a unit of the world’s third-largest cement maker, is seeking to form joint ventures to secure coal supplies for a planned 12 billion rupee ($265 million) expansion.

The local unit of Germany’s Heidelberg AG plans to double capacity to 6 million tons by 2012 to tap demand that is expected to grow as much as 10 percent annually over the next five years, Managing Director Ashish Guha said. The company used coal worth 740 million rupees ($16 million) in 2009, according to its annual report.

“We will have to link our coal supply to someone for long- term supply or get into a joint venture to look into mining,” Guha said in an interview. “Given our current capacity, coal mine sizes are too large for us to mine on our own.”

HeidelbergCement India shares fell 1.6 percent to 48.55 rupees as of 2:34 p.m. in Mumbai. The stock has advanced 8 percent this year, compared with a 14 percent gain in the benchmark index.

The company, based in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of New Delhi, has four plants in India.

Indian cement makers will raise capacity to about 375 million metric tons in the next five years as the government increases spending on building highways, ports, airports and utilities, Guha said. Asia’s third-largest economy needs to spend about $1 trillion on infrastructure from April 2012 to March 2017, twice the amount the nation’s Planning Commission recommended in the previous five years.

AFRICA: KENIA:Companies reap big from construction boom

Increased activity in the property market is reshaping the fortunes of construction professionals and manufacturers of building materials as they record double digits growth in income on increased demand.

Makers of cement, corrugated sheets and steel products and paints reckon they are facing their best sales in three years—a pointer that optimism over the recovery of Kenya’s economy is translating into increased sales and cash flow on rising interest on home ownership.

Consultants such as architects, structural engineers and artisans like plumbers and fitters are earning more from increased volumes of work with developers reporting a scarcity of artisans.

Firms such as East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC), iron sheet maker Mabati Rollings, paint firm Crown Berger and metal dealer Devki Steels have recorded brisk business in the last six months—translating into increased earnings power, room for fresh hiring and higher dividends.

“The uptake of galvanised sheets for both domestic and industrial construction has increased more than 22 per cent this year due to a booming construction sector,” said Gupta Abhijeet, a sales executive at Devki Steel Mills, adding that the firm recorded single digit growth in 2009 and 2008.

Players in the cement business also echoed similar comments: “The rising demand for cement has moved us to the profit territory in the quarter ended September,” said Mark ole Karbolo, the chairman of EAPCC.

The cement firm posted a loss of Sh292 million in the year ended June 2010 on rising production costs that ate into additional sales made in the year.

Mr Karbolo said that sales growth was running ahead of costs in the three months to September, propelling the company to profitability, a trend that is resonating at Athi River Mining and Bamburi Cement.

“The prospects for the second half of the year look promising and we expect to achieve stronger growth in 2010 compared to prior years,” said an official at Bamburi Cement.

Latest figures from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) indicate cement consumption rose 15 per cent to 1.5 million metric tonnes in the first half of 2010 compared to a similar period last year.

Production of galvanised sheets has leapt 20 per cent to 105,214 metric tonnes in the six months to June compared to a similar period a year earlier, showed the KNBS data.

Construction along with agriculture and manufacturing sectors emerged as the biggest drivers of the economy in the first half of the year.

The sector recorded a 18 per cent growth in the second quarter ended June—making it the biggest growth among the set sectors.

Analysts attribute the increased activity in the sectors mostly to the reduced home loans and increased demand for property has egged developers to step developments, especially in the mid segment of the market that is dishing better returns.

In the past six months, most banks lowered their base lending rates, speeding up credit expansion in an economy and offering momentum to property consumer demand

Kenya’s economy has also benefited from a huge jump in the uptake of loans in the construction sector where the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) says net lending grew from Sh43.3 billion to Sh81.7 billion in the year to June faster than household lending that rose from Sh84.3 billion to Sh118 billion.

Property prices rose by 2.6 per cent and rents jumped four per cent in the three months to October 1 after stagnating in the first half of the year, according to the quarterly HassConsult Index.

These pricing movements also helped property regain its position as an asset class of premium returns that were higher comparative investment channels such as the stock market, government bonds and cash in the bank.

Property developers have been busy building projects for the middle class, especially along Mombasa Road, Thika Road and Kiambu egged on by the higher returns relative to the building apartments for the middle class.

This increased activity is what is leading paint makers to also record double digit growth in sales, especially from new homes.

“We have registered a 15 per cent growth in sales from June to October this year,” said Rakesh Rao, the CEO of Crown Berger.

The paint firms saw revenues grow 16 per cent to Sh1.4 billion in the six months to June, leading to a Sh42.5 million net profit.

PERU: Cementos Bío Bío y Votorantim entran en el mercado peruano

Santiago de Chile, 16 nov (EFE).- La chilena Cementos Bío Bío y la brasileña Votorantim Cimentos entrarán en el mercado del cemento de Perú con la compra conjunta del 59% de las acciones de la firma Cempor, según un comunicado divulgado hoy.

Con este pacto, suscrito este lunes en Perú, cada una tendrá el 29,5 por ciento de las acciones de Cempor.

La operación se concretará a través de la suscripción de un aumento de capital de 59 millones de dólares por parte de cada una de las empresas, según el comunicado recibido por Efe.

Estos montos se destinarán a construir de una planta de cemento que contempla una inversión de 150 millones de dólares y tendrá una capacidad inicial de 700.000 toneladas por año.

El 41 por ciento restante de la sociedad quedará en manos de la peruana Ipsa y de la compañía española World Cement Group, cada una de las cuales será titular del 20,5 por ciento de las acciones de Cempor.

La empresa peruana, que es dueña de un importante yacimiento de caliza, materia prima principal para la fabricación de cemento, ubicado en el distrito de Pachacamac, a 40 kilómetros de Lima, buscaba un socio para la construcción de una planta de cemento.

Con estas nuevas instalaciones y la entrada de estos actores al mercado peruano, la industria cementera aumenta su capacidad instalada, lo que permitirá satisfacer la creciente demanda de los próximos años, señala la empresa chilena.

"Es una gran oportunidad para materializar la internacionalización de la compañía", dijo este lunes el presidente de Cementos Bío Bío, Hernán Briones, tras sellar el acuerdo en Perú.

"Creemos que Lima es un excelente mercado para iniciar este proceso debido al importante y sostenido crecimiento que ha presentado su economía", añadió.

AFRICA: ZIMBABWE: Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe re-brands

Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe has unveiled its new brand and has pledged to splurge a substantial amount of money on a three-month marketing and advertising campaign that kicks off this month.

Communications manager, Nyaradzo Makombe-Hazangwi, said the cement manufacturer had already "spent a lot" as it seeks to secure the Lafarge brand, which officially took over from the Circle Cement brand on Tuesday, 9 November 2010 on the Zimbabwean market.

"We are indeed on a campaign [involving] press advertisements in radio, TV, and local publications for the next three months," said Makombe-Hazangwi.

"We will be going on road shows in the city and doing in-store branding so we have a lot going on," she said.

Final phase of rebranding

Speaking at the re-branding ceremony on Tuesday, Lafarge Cement MD Jonathan Shoniwa, said the launch was "the final phase of our integration and re-branding into the big Lafarge family."

Lafarge is a building materials group based in Paris, France, with an annual turnover of over €20 billion. It presently operates in 79 countries worldwide with about 80,000 employees.

It has its footprint in 13 African countries namely South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Egypt, Morocco and Zimbabwe.

Renamed Lafarge in 2008

The Zimbabwean operation was re-named Lafarge Cement in January 2008 but the new brand was not unveiled to the market and had retained the packaging of the old brand, Circle Cement, due to the economic crisis prevailing in the country then.

The launch on Tuesday saw the entry into the market of the re-branded Lafarge products.

"Today, we complete the final phase of our re-branding from Circle Cement to Lafarge Cement by unveiling to you our new packaging, bearing the Lafarge logo.

"The new bag is a mixture of the old and the new," said Shoniwa.

"As a sign of our continuity and assurance of the best quality you have gotten used to, we have maintained the circle on the bag, albeit much smaller, signifying that your tried and tested brand, though migrating, still maintains the same high quality cement that has been so central in building many houses, buildings, dams, bridges and indeed in building cities for decades," he said.

AFRICA: EGYPTS: Alex Cement nine-month net gains 10 pct

Egypt's Alexandria Cement (ALEX.CA) posted a 10 percent gain in net profit for the first nine months of 2010, the stock exchange said on Sunday, defying a slowdown in its Greek parent company's main markets.

The Egyptian firm, a subsidary of Titan Cement (TTNr.AT), posted net profit of 404.5 million Egyptian pound ($70 million), up from 366.4 million pounds in the same period last year.

Titan, Greece's biggest cement producer, says its sales have been hit by the collapse of the U.S. housing market and the recession in Greece, but the company is adding 3 million tonnes of new production capacity in Egypt and Albania [ID:nLDE67O0LX].

The Egyptian unit plans to buy another Egyptian cement maker, Beni Suef Cement, also owned by Titan