Cement Energy and Environment

expected to be completed in the current year, thereby increasing its capacity to 5.3 million tonnes. The company also expects its 2.7 million tonnes Durg capacity to come on stream in FY201 3, which will take its total capacity to 8 million tonnes. Witnessing 20% increase in its ready mix concrete (RMC) business in FY2011, JKLC plans to revive plans to expand its RMC business. "We will spend about Rs.100 crore in RMC expansion, which we had deferred. This amount will be spent over a period of three years," said Chouksey. Courtesy : The Financial Express, Mumbai, 14 1 h April2011 MADHYA PRADESH TO PLAY HOST TO 21 NEW CEMENT PLANTS 21 new cement plants will be built in nine districts in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The plants will be built by 18 companies and will cost Rs 25726 crore . Among the companies building, the plants are Aditya Birla Group, Ambuja Cement, Dalmia Cement, lmami Cement and Essar Cements Ltd. The plants are part of the 49 MOU's signed by companies with the state during the Global Investors' Summit-11 held at Khajuraho in October. Ultratec Company of Aditya Birla Group will build the most plants, the company has announced a Rs. 6,000 crore investment to build three plants in two districts. The nine districts where the plants will be built are Satna, Rewa, Panna Damoh. Sagar, Dhar, Mandsaur, Katni and Jabalpur. Among the districts, Sa1na will host the most number of plants with nine cement plants. Courtesy: Civil Engineering & Construction Review, Vol. 24, Jan. 2011 , P53. ORIENT PAPER TO SET UP KARNATAKA PLANT The Board of Orient Paper & Industries Ltd (OPIL) cleared the company's proposal to set up a 3 Mta greenfield plant at Gulburga, Karnataka. The board also approved plans to set up a 50 MW power plant. OPIL is understood to have already obtained the Karnataka government's approval for the proposed project. Courtesy: International Cement Review March 2011, P1 5. SAGAR'S JV PLANT TO START NEXT YEAR The Rs 2, 500-crore joint venture (JV) plant of Hyderabad– based Sagar Cements and Vicate Group of France is likely to commence operations next year. The work is progressing on schedule and it would start production of Phase I by June 2012, said S Sreekanth Reddy, Executive Director, Sagar Cements . Phase I of the plant, coming up at Chatrasal in Gulbarga district of Karnataka , would involve an investment of Rs 1,650 crore. The financial closure, in the form of Rs 1,000- crore debt and Rs 650-crore equity has already been completed. The cement production capacity of the first phase will be 2.5 million tonne . The total capacity including second phase would be at 5.5 million tonne by 2014, Reddy added. Courtesy: Indian Cement Review, Apri/2011 , P13. Merger & Acquisition RAIN ACQUISITION Rain Commodities Ltd, which manufacturers Priya Cement, has acquired Birla Cement and Industries Ltd from Yash Birla Group for an undisclosed sum. "Consequent to the said acquisition, Birla Cement and Industries Ltd has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company," the Hyderabad-based company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange. "Birla Cement and Industries Ltd holds certain Limestone Mining Leases in the State of Andhra Pradesh," it said. When contacted , Mr. Srinivasa Rao, Chief Financial Officer, Rain Commodities Ltd, told Business Line, that the primary objective of acquisition was to gain control over "a large tract of land in Adilabad district which have limestone deposits." There would not be any addition of production capacity of cement nor plants, he added. Courtesy: International Cement Review, March 2011, P14. HOLCIM STAKE IN ACC, AMBUJA SURPASSES 50% The world's second largest cement manufacturer, the Holcim Group, has finall y gained majority stake in its Indian sub– sidiaries ACC and Ambuja Cement through the creeping acquisition route. The Swiss major acquired another 3.562% in Ambuja through open market purchase, increasing its stake in the company to 50 .002% from 46.44%. It also increased its stake in ACC by 0.8% and now holds 50 .1 %. 2