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- Title: Jordan cement: Achievements and Aspirations
- Author(s): Maria-Gabriella Khoury, Atlas Investment Group, discusses how Jordan Cement Factories has cleared its debts, strengthened its management, and increased exports.
- Synopsis:
- By the end of 2002, global giant Lafarge had increased its stake in Jordan Cement Factories (JOCM) to 48%, making clear its commitment to Jordan’s sole cement manufacturer. Since its privatisation in 1998, JOCM’s new management has put great effort into turning the company’s performance around by concentrating on the efficient use of its resources, all whilst trying to find solutions for the environmental issues that come hand in hand with cement production.
- Title: Spotlight on China
- Author(s): Zeng Xuemin, Secretary-General, China Cement Association, discusses the current operations and development prospects of the cement industry in China.
- Synopsis:
- After entry into the ‘10th Five Year Plan’1 period, China’s cement industry has enjoyed rapid development. The rates of annual increase in production for 2001, 2002 and 2003 have reached 11.44%, 9.73% and 18.94% respectively. In 2003, cement production reached 863 million t. The quantity for the January to August period of this year has reached 585 million t. Rapid increase of State investment in fixed assets provides the principal driving force, leading to the rapid increase in cement production. The increase in fixed assets investments for these three years are 13.05%, 16.09% and 26.7% respectively. The comparative increase for the January to August period of this year is 30.3%. Since the end of last year, the State has adopted a series of macro adjustment and control measures followed closely by their corresponding strategies. The rate of increase of fixed assets investments started its monthly decline in February. This has had a marked effect on the development of the whole industry. The way in which this manifests itself is discussed below.
- Title: Building Towards Recovery
- Author(s): Carlos Ossa, Executive Director, Instituto Colombiano de Productores de Cemento (ICPC), Colombia, provides an overview of the development and current situation of the Colombian cement industry.
- Synopsis:
- With an area of 1.14 million km2, Colombia is located in the north of South America, and is the only country in South America which has coasts on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The country shares borders with Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Panama.
The Andes run right along the length of the country, from north to south, and are divided into three mountain ranges: western, central and eastern. This causes a wide variety of topography, comprising humid jungles, tropical flatlands and high plateaus. For this reason, the weather does not vary according to the seasons but to altitude.
The government is based on a representative democracy, which elects a president every four years through popular voting. Colombia has approximately 44 million inhabitants, distributed across 32 departments. Approximately 70% of the population lives in urban areas.
During 2003, the economy recorded a growth of 3.7%, the highest in the last eight years, even surpassing the average growth rate in Latin America (1.5%). This dynamism is due to the construction industry and financial sectors. The per capita income for 2003 was US$1764.
- Title: Review of the Pakistan Cement Industry
- Author(s): Farid Fazal, D.G. Khan Cement Co. Ltd, Pakistan, discusses the history and current state of the Pakistani cement industry.
- Synopsis:
- Pakistan holds a key strategic location in South Asia and shares a border with India in the East, Afghanistan and Iran in the West, China in the North and the Arabian Sea in the South.
The country stretches over an area of 803 940 km2 and is divided into four provinces or states: Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and North-West Frontier. The population is 151 million.
There are 22 cement plants with an annual capacity of approximately 18.55 million t. Figure 1 shows that the majority of the plants are located in the North and South of the country mainly because of the proximity to raw materials and markets. They tend to use the latest dry process technology. Until recently demand was in the vicinity of 11 million t against a capacity of 18 million t but things have changed very recently. Capacity in the North is 13.63 million t compared with the South where it is 4.92 million t.
- Title: China builds for the future
- Author(s): Tianjin Cement Industry Design and Research Institute, China, presents an overview of the construction of a new 10 000 tpd clinker production line at Zongyang Conch Cement Co. Ltd.
- Synopsis:
- Zhongyang Conch Cement Co. Ltd is located approximately 2 km from the north bank of the Yangtse River (Changjiang) in Zhongyang County, Anhui Province. The company operates two 2500 tpd (Phase 1) and one 5000 tpd clinker production lines (Phase 2). Phase 3, construction of a new 10 000 tpd clinker line, commenced in 2003 and is now at the precommissioning stage.
Four components are used during the cement production process: limestone, sandy shale, quartzitic sandstone and bituminous coal. The latter, from Huainan and Huaibei, is used for fuel. Once the ongoing three phase project is completed, total Portland cement production from the plant will be 6.2 million t.
The adjoining limestone quarry, which also belongs to the company, has a proven B + C + D grade reserve of 400 million t and a prospective reserve of 160 million t. Silica-alumina materials are sourced from silty stone quarries at Zhoujiashan and Taohuashan. These quarries are approximately 7 km from the plant and have a proven C + D + E grade reserve of 44.37 million t and a prospective reserve of over 60 million t.
The company has constructed three 5000 t dedicated loading jetties along the Yangtse River. A belt conveyor system transports raw coal to the plant, and returns clinker to the wharf to be shipped to the company’s grinding station(s).
The 10 000 tpd clinker production line and clinkering system consists of a 6.0 - 6.4 m dia. x 90 m long rotary kiln and a twin series of 5-stage cyclones, supplied by Polysius. The raw meal preparation system consists of two FLS vertical mills. Other crushers, the homogenising silo, the pulverised coal preparation equipment, and the dust collection equipment were produced in China.
- Title: Continuing to Improve
- Author(s): Mr. Ignebekcili, The Turkish Cement Manufacturers' Association, discusses how the Turkish economy and construction industry have fared in the recent past, and looks ahead to predicted performances over the next few years.
- Synopsis:
- Following on from 2002 and 2003, improvements in the Turkish economy continued in 2004. In the first half of 2004, Turkey exhibited one of the greatest growth performances in the world, with a rate of 13.5%. The economic improvements witnessed over the previous two years were mainly realised through export growths, whereas in 2004, imports were also an important trigger.
In addition, a successful fight against inflation reduced figures to single digits after many years of hyperinflation. Increased petroleum prices badly affected the industry overall, especially due to the increased cost of fuel and raw materials. Turkey succeeded in increasing its overall exports in 2004, and by the end of the year, total exports were expected to reach to US$60 billion.
Imports increased by even greater levels. During the first nine months of the year, imports reached US$70 billion, and this is expected to reach US$95 billion by the end of the year. This rate of increase is the highest experienced in the last 25 years, except for 1995, and in 2005, imports are expected to increase by a further 14.5%.
For the third year in a row, Turkey has displayed strong growth, through reducing inflation levels, continuing financial discipline, and increasing productivity, by placing greater emphasis on exports and investments.
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