Lafarge, Holcim select merged company executives

Spanish Market: Petroleum coke
23/12/14

European-based international cement companies Holcim and Lafarge are advancing their merger plans after last week's clearance from the European Commission by selecting executives to lead the combined company if the merger closes.

The companies had already picked Lafarge chief executive Bruno Lafont to helm LafargeHolcim. Lafont will head up a team of 10 managers who will lead the transition process until closing, at which point they will form the new company's executive committee. The merger is expected to be finalized in the first half of next year.

Holcim's chief financial officer Thomas Aebischer was selected to head finance, while Lafarge's financial officer Jean-Jacques Gauthier will be in charge of integration, organization and human resources.

Roland Kohler, who currently runs Holcim's European operations, will manage the Europe region, and Holcim's Asia-Pacific head Ian Thackwray and North America head Alain Bourguignon will manage those regions for the new company.

Lafarge's executive vice president of operations Eric Olsen will manage the Middle East and Africa region, while Lafarge's Morocco manager Saad Sebbar will take over Latin America.

Holcim's corporate functional manager Urs Bleisch will be in charge of performance and cost and Lafarge executive vice president of innovation Gerard Kuperfarb will manage the company's growth and innovation segment.

The companies said they are "well on track" for the merger in India, but will not disclose the structure of their planned operations there until they receive clearance from Indian competition authorities. The Competition Commission of India has questioned the merger, saying it believes it would have "an appreciable adverse effect on competition." The companies have not said they plan to divest any of their holdings there — Holcim operates two Indian subsidiaries, Ambuja Cement and ACC, with 45mn-46mn t/yr of capacity, and Lafarge has capacity of 11mn t/yr.

But many other countries have already approved the plan or given preliminary approvals.

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28/04/25

Cement sales at India’s Dalmia fall on year in Jan-Mar

Singapore, 28 April (Argus) — Indian cement maker Dalmia Bharat reported a 2.8pc decline on the year in January-March sales, although sales increased by a sharp 28pc on the quarter because of an uptick in demand. Bombay Stock Exchange-listed Dalmia sold 8.6mn t of cement over January-March, down from 8.8mn t a year earlier but well above the 6.7mn t sold in October-December 2024. Sales rose by 2pc to 29.4mn t in the 2024-25 fiscal year ending 31 March. Cement demand was "relatively slow" in the first three quarters of the last fiscal year at 3-3.5pc growth, while the industry's full-year growth is estimated at 4-5pc, the company said. It expects cement demand to grow by 7-8pc in the current year. The year-on-year decline in sales in January-March was because of a higher base in the year-earlier period, when the company sold 0.6mn tthrough a tolling arrangement in January-March 2024, Dalmia told investors on 24 April. This arrangement was discontinued in July 2024. Power and fuel costs fell by 7.2pc from a year earlier to 945 rupees/t ($11.10/t) of cement in January-March. This was primarily because average fuel consumption costs fell by $19/t on the year to $95/t in the latest quarter. Cement plants use petroleum coke and thermal coal as fuel in cement kilns. The Argus -assessed delivered India price of 6.5pc coke averaged $98.38/t for October-December, down by almost 25pc from the average of $131.04/t a year earlier. Most of the US high-sulphur coke that Indian cement makers consumed in January-March would typically have been booked in the previous quarter, considering a voyage time of approximately six weeks. Revenue from sales fell by 5pc on the year to Rs40.91bn in January-March, a sharper decline compared with the 2.8pc drop in sales volume because of lower cement prices. The fiscal year's revenue also slipped by almost 5pc to Rs139.8bn. The company reported higher cement prices this quarter, and it is reasonably optimistic about the sustainability of recent hikes. It expects the rising industry consolidation in cement industry to eventually give producers a higher pricing. Dalmia's profits increased by 37pc on the year to Rs4.4bn over January-March, but the annual profit declined by 18pc to Rs7bn from the year earlier. Dalmia Bharat added approximately 5mn t/yr of cement capacity in 2024-25 to 49.4mn t/yr. It had earlier announced an aspiration to raise cement capacity to 75mn t/yr by 2027-28, but details have not yet been made public. By Ajay Modi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Water levels delay Tennessee River lock reopening

24/04/25

Water levels delay Tennessee River lock reopening

Houston, 24 April (Argus) — The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) will delay the reopening of the Tennessee River's Wilson Lock by three weeks after high floodwater disrupted repair plans. The Wilson Lock is now planned to reopen in mid-June or July, the Corps said this week. The lock's main chamber has been closed since September after severe cracks were found in the structure. The Corps initiated evacuation procedures so personnel and equipment could be removed before any water entered the dewatered lock and ruined repairs after high water appeared too close to the lock's edge. The water did not crest above the temporary barrier the Corps installed to keep water out. Delays at the lock averaged around 10 days as of 24 April, according to the Corps. Barge carriers fees have been in place for each barge that must pass through the auxiliary chamber of the lock since 25 September, when the lock first closed. Restricted barge movement placed upward pressure on fertilizer prices in surrounding areas as well. The lock still requires structural repairs to the main chamber gates, including the replacement of the pintle components, the Corps said. This is the fourth opening delay the Corps have issued for the Wilson Lock, with the prior opening dates being in November , then April and then in June . The Wilson Lock will enter its eighth month of repairs next month. By Meghan Yoyotte and Sneha Kumar Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US Senate seeks coordinated cargo theft probes

14/04/25

US Senate seeks coordinated cargo theft probes

Washington, 14 April (Argus) — US rail and other transportation industries are urging Congress to move forward on a bill that would create a division within the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate investigations of organized cargo theft. The bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 was introduced on 10 April by Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada). The bill, similar to a 2023 effort, calls for creation of an organized retail and supply chain crime coordination center to unite experts from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as retail industry representatives. The Class I railroads also operate their own police forces with powers equivalent to public law enforcement. Coordinating investigations in a timely manner is difficult because of the proliferation of different agencies. Railroad police officials are limited to carriers' facilities, while local police forces are unable to quickly investigate railroad thefts because they need specific permission to enter railroad property. "Organized criminal operations continue to evolve and escalate their targeted attacks against our nation's supply chain and retailers," Association of American Railroads chief executive Ian Jefferies said. The nation's largest railroads experienced a 40pc spike in cargo theft last year, costing carriers more than $100mn, AAR said. Rail thefts tend to be split between flash mob robberies and organized efforts by criminal networks, according to Danny Ramon, director of intelligence and response at logistics platform Overhaul. Flash mobs often target containers in urban areas, seeking valuable products such as apparel and footwear that they can quickly sell. These thefts often occur in regions near ports where containers are loaded onto trains, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta. But thefts in rural areas are becoming more prolific, Ramon said. They have become popular locations because it can take law enforcement an hour or longer to reach trains as opposed to minutes for urban rail cargo thefts. Rural areas also make it easier for groups to stage larger thefts. The organized groups tend to track trains from origin and monitor them along the way, breaking in during breaks in rural areas. They come prepared with equipment and cargo vans to enable them to quickly empty products from trains. Arizona has become a popular location for thefts because of its vast portions of rural area. In addition, many trains are heading east with containers of goods recently loaded from west coast ports. Thefts by criminal organizations have increased in part because of the ease in selling to individuals. The proliferation of on line websites have allowed these organizations to bypass traditional third-party middlemen and sell directly to consumers, Ramon said. By Abby Caplan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Funding cuts could delay US river lock work: Correction

14/04/25

Funding cuts could delay US river lock work: Correction

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Flooding on US rivers mires barge transit

07/04/25

Flooding on US rivers mires barge transit

Houston, 7 April (Argus) — Barge transit slowed across the Arkansas, Ohio and lower Mississippi rivers over the weekend because of flooding, which prompted the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to close locks and issue transit restrictions along the waterways. The Corps advised all small craft to limit or halt transit on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MCKARNS) in Arkansas because flows reached above 200,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), nearly three times the high-water flow. The heavy flow is expected to persist throughout the week, posing risks to those transiting the river system, said the Corps. Some barges have halted movement on the river, temporarily miring fertilizer resupply efforts in Arkansas and Oklahoma in the middle of the urea application season. The Corps forecasts high flows to continue into Friday, and the National Weather Service predicts several locations along the MCKARNS will maintain a moderate to minor flood stage into Friday as well. Both the Arthur V Ormond Lock and the Toad Suck Ferry Lock, upriver from Little Rock, Arkansas, shut on 6 April because of the high flows. Flows along the Little Rock Corps district reached 271,600cfs on 7 April. The Corps forecasts high flows to continue into Friday. Ohio and lower Mississippi rivers The Corps restricted barge transit between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Cairo, Illinois, on the Ohio River to mitigate barge transportation risks, with the Corps closing two locks on the Ohio River on 6 April and potentially four more in the coming days. Major barge carrier American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) anticipates dock and fleeting operations will be suspended at certain locations along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers as a result of the flooding. NWS forecasters anticipate major flooding levels to persist through the following week. Barge carriers also expect a backlog of up to two weeks in the region. To alleviate flooding at Cairo, Illinois, where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers meet, the Corps increased water releases at the Barkley Dam on the Cumberland River and the Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River. The Markland Lock, downriver from Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Newburgh lock near Owensboro, Kentucky, closed on 6 April. The Corps expects the full closure to remain until each location reaches its crest of nearly 57ft, which could occur on 8 or 9 April, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Around 50 vessels or more are waiting to transit each lock, according to the Lock Status Report published by the Corps on 7 April. The Corps also shut a chamber at both Cannelton and McAlpine locks. The John T Myers and Smithland locks may close on 7 April as well, the Corps said. The Olmsted Lock, the final lock before the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, will require a 3mph limit for any traffic passing through. The NWS expects roughly 10-15 inches of precipitation fell along the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys earlier this month, inducing severe flooding across the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. A preliminary estimate from AccuWeather stated an estimated loss of $80-90bn in damages from the extreme flooding. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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