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Coal India to form coal joint venture with India Railways
Written by Global CemFuels staff
01 April 2015
India: Coal India (CIL) is likely to sign a major joint venture agreement with the India Railways to co-develop a number of railway projects to extract coal. CIL would provide the money, while India Railways would provide the labour force creating the infrastructure, including the tracks, sidings and related infrastructure.
The joint venture plan was conceived by Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu, who has been working hard to raise India Railways' share of coal transport and CIL chairman Sutirtha Bhattacharya, who has previous experience of working on similar projects for the Krishnapatnam Rail Co. The deal is expected to be signed shortly. "The terms are being worked out. We will disclose when it is finalised," said Bhattacharya.
CIL has been looking at a comprehensive revenue-based partnership with India Railways in a bid to create mega infrastructure for which about 50 separate projects across the country have already been identified. Of immediate priority would be three specific projects, including a 90km stretch linking Tori-Shivpur-Kathautia connecting the North Karanpura mines in Jharkhand, Jharsuguda-Barpalli-Sardega in Odisha and Bhupdeopur-Raigarh-Mand in Chhattisgarh. CIL is likely to invest US$643m in these three projects.
The joint venture is expected to help CIL double its coal production from the current levels to 1Bnt by 2020.
Tourah Cement to invest US$39.4m in alternative fuels
Written by Global CemFuels staff
31 March 2015
Egypt: Tourah Cement plans to invest US$39.4m to convert its plant to alternative fuels to recover production ability and profitability. Tourah did not make a profit in 2014.
Dangote to build world’s biggest oil refinery
Written by Global CemFuels staff
23 March 2015
Nigeria: Aliko Dangote, president of Nigeria's largest cement producer Dangote Group, has announced that he is increasing his refinery's capacity to 650,000b/day. The move, according to petroleum industry analysts, will see Nigeria listed as having the largest petroleum refinery in the world.
Dangote said that the initial plan was to have 450,000b/day refining capacity, but that he has since opted for a bigger plant because he believes that Nigeria, as a leading producer of crude oil, should also be credited with local refining capacity. Currently, Nigeria produces crude oil, but has to buy refined products from abroad. Dangote Group executive director Devakumar Edwin said that the Dangote refinery was ready to reverse the trend. The refiner is expected to be fully operational by 2017.
Ha Tien 1 Cement Company plans to import coal from Indonesia
Written by Global CemFuels staff
23 March 2015
Vietnam: Ha Tien 1 Cement Company is negotiating with Indonesian partners to import coal from Indonesia, according to the Saigon Securities Incorporated (SSI). Under the current laws, businesses must seek permission for the import of energy products.
Coal accounts for 40% of clinker and 32% of cement production costs. Ha Tien 1 is considering importing coal because the market price has fallen sharply with the drop in crude oil prices. Ha Tien 1 currently buys coal from Vinacomin at US$100/t. The coal price in Indonesia is US$52/t free on board (FOB).
If Ha Tien 1's proposal to import coal gets approval from the government, the cement manufacturer would cut production costs and be able to reduce sale prices and boost its sales. If Ha Tien 1 could import 25% of the total coal it needs for production, it would be able to reduce its production cost by 8%.
UNTHA launches new XR-C waste shredder for SRF production
Written by Global CemFuels staff
19 March 2015
Austria: UNTHA Shredding Technology is currently working on proposals for more than 250 global prospects, eager to reap the benefits of its innovative new XR-C waste shredder. European orders in the last six months stand at Euro5m, with Holcim and SITA the most recent clients to invest in the machine.
The robust XR Cutter is able to produce high-quality solid recovered fuel (SRF) in a single pass, with double the output per tonnage of competing machines. Input material can include bulky untreated waste. When comparing like-for-like tonnages, the XR uses 50% less power consumption than traditional static electro-hydraulic shredders.
The power savings are due to UNTHA's new high-torque, slow-speed 'Eco Drive' concept. Modern water-cooled synchronous motors work continuously without overheating, ensuring minimal disruption and downtime. This also keeps running and maintenance charges minimal, with typical wear costs significantly less than Euro1/t.
"The beauty of the XR machine is its flexibility," said Peter Streinik, UNTHA's head of shredding solutions for waste. "The cutting concept is completely configurable, enabling alternative fuel producers to manufacture SRF with a homogenous pre-determined particle size of 100 - 400mm, or a precise SRF with a 30mm fraction or less. Load-dependent speed controls also enable the XR's RPM and torque to be adjusted and optimised, in order to achieve throughputs of up to 70t/hr."