Asia & Pacific Rim

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.

Holcim has invested in a capacity expansion in Bangladesh, where increased infrastructure development is driving demand.

Siemens has won the contract to supply the second cement production line at Holcim’s recently inaugurated Tuban plant with an Integrated Drive System.

The cement import terminals will replace the cement manufacturing facility at Westport, which will be closed once the terminals are up and running.

Cement dispatches have risen over the fiscal year-to-date thanks to the government’s Public Sector Development Programme and growth in the private housing sector.

China’s Huaxin Cement Company has acquired a 40% stake in Cambodia Cement Chakrey Ting Factory Co. at a cost of approximately US$24 million.

Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd (CMS) has awarded Christian Pfeiffer the EPC contract for a new 1 million tpa cement grinding plant.

The Philippines’ Iloilo province has been experiencing cement shortages as a result of major ongoing construction and real estate projects throughout the region.

A new 1 million tpa cement plant will meet half of domestic demand, but cement consumption is on the rise according to a new report.

Setting up a regulatory authority and allowing imports from the Asian market would help to stabilise the price of cement, according to the Builders Association of India (BAI).

The new line, producing 1.7 million tpa, will help meet demand in Indonesia, where the cement industry is experiencing a period of growth.