Africa & The Middle East

Dangote Cement cut prices on its 32.5-grade and 42.5-grade cement last week and has promised to make sure the reduction is passed along to consumers.

The Omani company is building a new distribution terminal, adding silo capacity and enhancing its cement handling facilities.

Catch up with all the latest news from the global cement industry via our weekly round-up. This week’s key topics include health and safety, as well as new reports and initiatives focused on reducing carbon emissions.

In the second part of this abridged article, Sabine Maier and Rachid Lahbara discuss the implementation of the VAS IT logistics system at Ciments de l’Atlas’ Moroccan plants.

The Global CCS Institute has released a new report entitled ‘The Global Status of CCS: 2014’.

A handy infographic on the cement industry in the MENA region, the focus of the regional report in World Cement’s November 2014 issue.

After local reports that insurgents had allegedly raided a Lafarge cement plant in Nigeria, the cement producer has confirmed that no employees were hurt and no damage was incurred to the plant.

PPC has purchased Industrial Development Corporation’s stake in Habesha Cement Share Company (HCSCo), Ethiopia, meaning it will hold a 51% stake in the company.

UltraTech Cement Middle East Investments, a subsidiary of UltraTech Cement, has acquired a 51% stake in Omani gypsum mining company Awam Minerals LLC.

Suez Cement witnessed a 48.2% increase in revenues and an 18.3% improvement in EBITDA in 3Q14 due to improved market conditions.

Sabine Maier, FRITZ & MACZIOL, and Rachid Lahbara, CIMAT, describe the optimisation of the logistics processes at Ciments de l’Atlas’ Ben Ahmed and Béni Mellal plants in Morocco.

Suez Cement Group of Companies, Egypt, explains how the group is working to advance environmental standards at its facilities across Egypt, in this abridged article from the November 2014 issue of World Cement.

The GCC is set to invest around US$121.3 billion to improve land transportation infrastructure, and a new report outlines the GCC governments’ focus on sustainability in construction.

Qatar National Cement Company posted a net profit of QR332 million for the nine-month period ended 30 September 2014.

As part of the company’s social responsibility programme, South Africa’s PPC Ltd has donated ZAR200 000 to Protea Glen High School in Soweto.