Africa & The Middle East

Ghana Cement is to expand the capacities of its plants at Takoradi and Tema

Africa’s biggest producer of building materials is reported to be looking to raise US$5 billion in a London sale of global depositary receipts.

Cemena Holding Company has signed an agreement with Sinoma CBMI Construction Company Ltd to construct a cement plant in Syria.

A recent report by Frost & Sullivan indicates that a lack of infrastructure within Sub-Saharan Africa economies has continued to hamper economic growth and hinder the continent’s drive to be globally competitive and eradicate poverty. However, change is on the way.

Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to achieve economic growth of about 4% this year and 4.5% in 2011. As a recently published influential report states, “Better political and macroeconomic stability, a strengthened political commitment to private sector growth, and increased investment in infrastructure and education has made the growth possible”.

IFC has invested €80 million in the equity of Alexandria Portland Cement Company (APCC) to support the company’s expansion plans.

ABB has successfully installed and commissioned a SpectraFlow raw material online analyser in Oman to optimise raw material quality.

Wärtsilä has been awarded an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract by the Al Badia Cement JSC for its captive power plant.

Pretoria Portland Cement is looking to expand production capacity at Riebeek and De Hoek to lift cement output in Zimbabwe by 50%.

Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC), South Africa, has experienced a substantial reduction in cement volumes across most of southern Africa due to a recent slowdown in the construction industry.

Afghanistan has issued invitations for Indian companies to invest in mineral mining and cement manufacturing.

FLSmidth has been awarded a contract from Arabian Cement Company (ACC) for operation and maintenance of the second line at their cement plant near the city of Suez in Egypt.

Dr M Rahim Vaseghi, Vice-Chancellor of Research, Islamic Azad University, Iran, provides an update on the capacity of the cement industry in the Middle East and North Africa. This article is summarized from the November issue of WORLD CEMENT.

Cement demand in Nigeria has been forecast to increase by 45% this year, according to Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc.

Oman’s Raysut Cement in a statement issued on 28 October said it will purchase UAE’s Pioneer Cement Industries.