Shun Shing to set up plants in Bangladesh Shun Shing (Banladesh) Ltd. of China will establish three cement plants in Bangladesh, the company said. The plants will have a total capacity of 4,800 mtpd and will be located in central Narshingdi, southwestern Khulna, and the southeastern port city of Chittagong.

Hanson acquires Boral's brick operations, Pioneer Hanson PLC agreed to acquire the continental European brick operations of Boral Ltd. for US$94.1 million in cash. The acquisition cost includes US$20.7 million for a new brick plant in Poland which is currently being commissioned. The transaction is subject to regulatory consents and was expected to close in the fourth quarter of 1999.

The Boral operations include 12 clay brick and paver manufacturing plants in Holland, western Germany, and Poland. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1999, the operations had audited sales revenue of US$54.8 million, EBITDA of US$8.6 million, and operating profit of US$4.3 million. Hanson said it hopes to enhance market strength and benefit from synergies.

Also, the boards of Hanson and Pioneer announced that they agreed to terms of a recommended offer by Hanson for Pioneer that amounted to US$2.5 billion in cash and stock. Hanson said it hopes the agreement will augment its existing positions in the U.S. and UK; expand its operations in Texas and provide new aggregates in Arizona and Utah; add aggregates and/or ready-mix operations in Spain, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Israel; provide a leading position in Pioneer's native Australia; and strengthen Hanson's position in Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Three cement firms unite in Philippines A three-way merger among the Philippines' largest cement firms is another step in the transformation of the cement industry there.

Hi Cement Corp. said it would be the surviving entity in a merger with Davao Union Cement and Bacnotan Cement. The new company will be the largest cement company in the Philippines, with an annual clinker capacity of 5.4 million mt.

After a wave of foreign consolidation swept through the local industry, firms are seeking to realize more efficient operations through mergers because of continued weak market demand.

"After foreign players pumped in US$1.7 billion in the local cement industry, we are now seeing the third stage of the consolidation process," said Alfred Dy, vice president for research for Merrill Lynch Securities.

Lanka to double capacity The Tokyo Cement Co. Lanka said it planned to double its annual production capacity to 500,000 mt and had also incorporated a unit to import and distribute cement to the local market.

Largest vertical roller mill unveiled Siam Cement of Thailand unveiled what is said to be the largest vertical roller mill in the world in October 1999. The Loesche Mill Type LM 63.4 with KHD is capable of 600 tph. Combined with a Loesche Coal Mill Type LM 28.3 D and a new kiln, the Thung Song Line No. 6 hopes to produce 7,500 tph of clinker.

Merone to streamline production in Italy Holderbank's Merone announced a strategic plan to streamline cement operations in response to market conditions. Cement production will be concentrated at three sites in Lombardy (Merone and Ternate) and Piedmont (Morano Po). The technologically outdated Cassago plant near Lecco and the grinding stations in Fusine (Sondrio) and Paladina will be closed, with the Morano Po facility operating as a grinding station and distribution terminal. The streamlining will reduce the company's payroll by 180 workers.

Egyptian Cement Co. to build 4,300-tpd facility The Egyptian Cement Co. (ECC) has contracted with Krupp Polysius to build a 4,300-tpd production facility. The facility will be the third 4,300-tpd facility built for ECC by Polysius since 1998. The start-up date for the new plant is expected to be sometime in 2001.

Lafarge buys Tisco cement Lafarge has taken over the operations of the cement division of Indian steelmaker Tata Iron and Steel Co. (Tisco). The cement operations comprise a 1.1 million mt clinker plant at Sonadih in Madhya Pradesh and a 1.4 million mt slag cement grinding plant at Jojobera in Bihar.

Lafarge has also signed a $55.6 million loan agreement with the International Finance Corp. for a joint-venture cement plant in southwest China.

UMAR acquires Eastern Bulkcem UMAR, the international trading organization of Holderbank Financiere Glaris, has taken a minority stake of 40% in Eastern Bulkcem Co. in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and assumes management responsibility.

In other news, Holderbank acquired 98.5% of the share capital of Cimus SA in Cimpulung, Romania from local investors.

Loesche to complete coal-grinding plant with NCC Loesche has been awarded a contract for a coal grinding plant with Northern Cement Corp. (NCC) of Manila, Phillippines. The mill will be installed in Sison, Pangasinan, to provide pulverized fuel for NCC's third line rotary kiln project.

The contract comprises the supply of a Loesche Mill LM 28.2D and the complete hardware, as well as engineering services for plant design, project coordination with NCC's engineers, supervision of local manufacture, erection, and commissioning of the plant.

Norway firm takes over Chittagong Cement Scancem AB of Norway has taken over the management of Bangladesh's Chittagong Cement Clinker and Grinding Co Ltd and plans to boost production, according to the Daily Khaleej Times Dubat.

Scancem concluded a joint collaboration agreement on Jan. 22 to run the factory in Bangladesh's southeastern port of Chittagong. The Times reports that the company holds 26 percent of Chittagong Cement, which is listed on both the Dhaka and Chittagong stock exchanges.

Holderbank to invest in Gaza plant Swiss cement company Holderbank Financiere Glarus AG said it would build a cement grinding station near the future port of Gaza together with Palestinian and Egyptian partners, according to the Gulf News Daily.

The new plant, which should be operational in mid-2001, will be known as Palestine Cement Co. Holderbank and Egypt's Orascom Construction Industries will together own a 50.1% stake through a new joint venture.

The grinding plant will have a minimum capacity of 750,000 tpy and will supply the Palestinian market, mostly in the Gaza Strip.

Blue Circle wins bid for Nigerian cement firm Britain's Blue Circle Industries won a bid for part of the Nigerian government's stake in West African Portland Cement Co.

Industry sources said Blue Circle's new stake would either give it a majority in the company or put it very close to achieving one since Blue Circle already owns some shares in Nigeria's biggest cement firm.

The Daily Khaleej Times reports Blue Circle raised an initial bid to 32.50 naira per share from 22.20 naira to pay 1.8 billion naira for a 9.68% stake.