Asia & Pacific Rim

The 24th AFCM Technical Symposium & Exhibition took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 21 – 24 April 2015, bringing together leading players in the regional and international cement industry.

India’s Reliance Infrastructure Limited has released its consolidated results for the year and quarter ending 31 March 2015.

Eight new Indian companies have joined the globalCOAL online coal trading community, including Emirati Union Cement Company’s subsidiary Unicem Trading Company.

The Indian company has not specified what the money will be used for, but has said the money would be raised through issue of securities and/or debt instruments.

Vietnam’s Xuan Than Group has placed an order with FLSmidth for a complete cement plant, which will be the largest in Southeast Asia once completed.

The Indian cement company has been recognised for the management of its quarries by the Indian Bureau of Mines.

Typically cement has been supplied to the market in traditional paper sacks but this may be about to change.

BSW Machinery, part of Windmöller & Hölscher, installed and commissioned the new PP block bottom valve bag conversion machine.

Malaysia’s Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad has reported positive results for 1Q15, including a 44% increase in its cement division’s pre-tax profit.

Profits took a nosedive in the final quarter of FY14/15 ending 31 March, but in spite of this the firm managed an increase in stand alone net profit for the full year of almost 3%.

The Flex SafePack bag from India’s UFLEX was a silver award winner at the 2015 DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation.

The company is reportedly planning to add grinding plants to boost capacity in expectation of renewed demand.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. has signed an Exclusivity Agreement with a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with CRH for five Lafarge plants and associated quarries.

Cemex is investing US$300 million in its Solid plant in Luzon to add a 1.5 million tpy line, doubling the plant’s existing capacity.

According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, cement production declined by 7.3% y/y to 208.65 million t in April 2015.