Asia & Pacific Rim

Eight partnership pacts covering clean coal technology and carbon capture and storage have been signed between the two countries ahead of two days of high-level bilateral talks.

Our sister website, www.worldcoal.com, is reporting that coal imports are set to grow as a supply gap of more than 85 million tonnes is projected for the coming year.

Paul-Maxwell Cook takes a look at how the cement sector has fared in Asian nations over the last year.

Muhammad Ali Tabba, Chairman of the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers’ Association (APCMA), has called import duty on coal an injustice to the cement industry.

In June 2014, ongoing improvements in the house building sector helped to boost Australia’s construction industry into growth territory for the first time this year.

Total cement dispatches increased by 11.68% y/y in Pakistan in June 2014, while dispatches for the 2013/2014 fiscal year grew by 2.52% y/y.

Five firms, including Holcim Lanka and Fuji Cement, will buy flyash produced by Sri Lanka’s Puttalam Coal Power Project.

Christian Pfeiffer has confirmed that it has received an order from Caha Mata Sarawak, Malaysia, for the erection of a 150 tph cement grinding plant.

New lines have been inaugurated by JK Cement and Shree Cement, while the real estate body, Credai, has joined the Builders Association of India to complain about rising cement prices.

The new carriers feature a MacGregor cement loading and unloading system with a rated capacity of 1000 tph and the first has already entered into service. MacGregor provides further information.

To mark its 20th anniversary, Unicast, Inc. has launched a new initiative to raise funds for concrete housing construction projects in Haiti and the Philippines.

Despite core sector growth slowing to 2.3% in May 2014, India recorded 8.7% growth in cement production during the month, improving from 6.7% in April 2014.

Some key facts from the international cement industry to accompany the annual World Review, which featured in World Cement’s July 2014 issue.

Semen Indonesia has signed an offtake agreement with its Vietnamese subsidiary Thang Long Cement Company (TLCC) to help refinance its US$140 million debts.

India’s Kesoram, which operates cement plants in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, has announced plans to look into ‘reorganising and realigning’ its businesses.