South Korea: Baring Private Equity Asia has sold Halla Cement to Asia Cement for US$723m. The combined business will be the third largest cement player in Korea, with a combined market share of 19%.

Baring Private Equity Asia bought Lafarge Halla Cement from LafargeHolcim in 2016. It took full control of the cement producer in 2017. It was then reported to be shortlisting potential buyers for the company in September 2017.

Halla Cement operates one cement plant at Okgye and three slag cement grinding plants. It has a cement production capacity of 7.6Mt/yr. It also runs 11 distribution centres in the country, consisting of seven coastal and four inland centres.

India: Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, has inaugurated JSW Cement’s plant at Salboni. The US$125m grinding plant has a production capacity of 2.4Mt/yr, according to the Press Trust of India. It started commercial production at the site in July 2017 with plans to manufacture Portland Slag Cement. The cement producer is already preparing upgrades at the unit including a US$15.6m captive power plant with a capacity of 18MW and a US$47m production capacity increase of 1.2Mt/yr.

India: KIC Metaliks plans to build a 300t/day slag cement grinding plant at its pig iron plant at Raturia in the Bardhaman district of West Bengal. The project is part of a wider upgrade at the site to turn it into a steel plant, according to Projects Today. Other upgrades a direct reduced iron kilns, a sinter plant, a rolling mill, a pulverised coal injection plant and a captive power plant. The upgrade plans are valued at around US$93m. The company is awaiting environmental clearance for the project.

Bahrain: Harsco’s Metals & Minerals division has renewed a multi-year services contract with Sulb Company, a manufacturer of multi-sized angles and beams in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Harsco will provide slag management, raw material and finished product handling, and other services to Sulb’s fully integrated Al-Hidd plant. Harsco has provided onsite steel plant services to Sulb in Bahrain since 2012 for its direct reduced iron (DRI) plant, melt shop and rolling mills.

“This renewal signals our ability to serve our existing customers, and further distinguishes us from our competition as we continue this growth phase. Harsco maintains a market-leading position in the Middle East and Africa region, and this renewal reflects our customers’ confidence and trust in our long-standing commitments to quality, safety and employee care,” said Harsco Metals & Minerals Chief Operating Officer (CEO) Chris Whistler.

Sulb is a joint venture between Foulath and Japan-based Yamato Kogyo. Sulb has two industrial sites, one in Saudi Arabia and one in Bahrain. Sulb’s Bahrain-based facility, which is situated in Al-Hidd Industrial Area, consists of a DRI plant, a melt shop and a Heavy & Medium Section rolling mill.