ACC to expand and upgrade cement capacity

Holcim’s Indian company ACC is said to be investing Rs.3000 crore in a capacity upgrade and expansion project at its Jamul plant in Chattisgarh and its grinding unit in Jharkhand.

The company’s sales director is quoted in local media as saying the existing Jamul plant will be decommissioned and upgraded to a 4 million t plant based on state-of-the-art technology, while a 1.5 million t grinding unit will be added at Sindri in Jharkhand. The two plants would be commissioned by 2Q15, according to the reports.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that Birla Corp’s Ultratech Cement Ltd is interested in buying up assets divested by Holcim and Lafarge when they merge. India’s largest cement company is reportedly keeping an eye out to see what will be up for sale when the companies begin their asset-shedding activities. In India alone, the two European majors own about 62 million t of cement capacity, mostly concentrated in the eastern Indian market, which is more robust than the over-capacity southern region and thus a lucrative option for potential buyers. Ultratech is said also to be scouting for acquisitions and greenfield sites in Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Oman, the Philippines and Malaysia. Many Indian companies are banking on the outcome of the ongoing elections, which will be completed on 12 May, to herald a new dawn for the cement industry and for infrastructure spending within India.

Edited from various sources by Katherine Guenioui

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/asia-pacific-rim/06052014/acc_announces_cement_plant_upgrade_expansion_plans_142/