drymix.info News 121/2012

drymix.info Newsletter 121/2012; ISSN Number 1613-0111; 25. May 2012

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1. Events Programme 2012; Important Changes
2. Kerneos Acquires Majority Stake in Bauxite Producer Elmin
3. Wacker Polymers Increases Prices for Dispersions in the Americas
4. HeidelbergCement Saves African Queen
5. Riyadh Announces Construction of a Metro System
6. Knauf Builds New Plant in China
7. Anti-Trust ok for Billerud's Acquisition of UPM's Packaging Paper Operations
8. SE Tylose Invests into HEC Production in the US

With this Newsletter, we would like to share with you our programme for the remainder of 2012, and we would like to alert you to two important changes: As previously announced, The European Mortar Summit is postponed into June 2012 (Barcelona). SEADMA has decided to move date and location of their 7th annual conference: it takes place on 19. (welcome, Golf Tournament) and 20. November 2012 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Also we are currently accepting articles, advertorials and advertisements for our SEADMA/MEDMA Technical Bulletin 07, submission deadline is 31. July 2012.

Update Call for Papers (CfP): 

The CfP is still running for Sydney and Istanbul until 31. May 2012, we encourage to submit scientific lectures, details are available at drymix.info. The CfP for Jakarta has been issued and is available from us, it runs through 15. July 2012. Also available: CfP for idmmc three (Nürnberg, 18. March 2013) and European Coatings Congress/Construction Chemicals Session (Chairman Ferdinand Leopolder).

List of Events:

Australian Drymix Mortar Meeting, Sydney, NSW, 11. September 2012

Jahrestagung Fachgruppe Bauchemie, Dübendorf (CH), 10. -12. October 2012

Third Central and South European Drymix Mortar Conference, cedmmc three, Istanbul, Turkey, 15. October 2012

Saudi Roadshow on Drymix Mortars, Riyadh, Dammam, KSA, (28.-30.) October 2012

MEDMA Open Annual Assembly, Dubai, UAE, 05. November 2012 (during Big 5)

 7th Annual SEADMA Conference, Jakarta, Indonesia, 19. and 20. November 2012 

Second drymix-CONVENTION, Internet, worldwide, 05. December 2012

Kerneos SA of Paris, France, has acquired a 54% stake in the capital of  Elmin Hellenic Mining Enterprises S.A., Athens, Greece. Elmin, founded in 2000, is a major producer of monohydrate bauxite for theindustrial specialty products market. Its annual sales tonnage is about 500.000 t and is exported globally, the deposits at Elmin's operations in Marina Stylidos, Greece are estimated to beseveral tens of millions t. with this step, Kerneos secures long-range access to an essential raw material. Jean-Marc Bianchi, CEO of Kerneos, said: “This operation represents a significant stage in the developing partnership between the Kerneos and Elmin teams, which began ten years

ago.”

Wacker Polymers, Munich, Germany and Allentown, PA, USA have announced a price increase for vinyl acetate-ethylene and ethylene-vinyl chloride-based copolymer dispersions in the Americas (Tradename Vinnapas). Effective 01. June 2012, Wacker will implement a price increase of US$ 0,03 per wet pound (US$ 0,07 per wet kg), or as customer contracts allow. Wacker cites increased raw material and distribution cost as the reason for this measure. 

HeidelbergCement AG of Leimen, Germany has announced a generous donation (up to 2,5 mio Euro) for the repair, modernization and restoration of MS Liemba, up until today the only larger ship on Lake Tanganjika in Africa and thus of tremendous logistical importance for this Central African Region. The vessel was ordered by the Prussian Emperor Wilhelm II as part of ist pre WW I strategy to gain influence in Central Africa. It was built and comissioned by Meyer-Werft in Papenburg, then completely taken apart and transported by ship, railway and, since the last part to Kigoma on Lake Tanganjika was not finished yet, on foot to an improvised dock. Staff from Meyer re-assembled the ship, its launch was on 5. February 1915. During WW I the Graf Goetzen was abandoned and sunk at Kigoma Port, the Belgian Colonial Administration immediately recovered it and put it in service again in 1916. It featured as "Louisa" prominently in John Huston's Film "African Queen" with Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. HeidelbergCement operates several cement grinding plants in Tansania.

The restoration project is being led by Deutsche Afrika Stiftung e.V., Berlin and various German Government bodies. The full financing of the project, estimated by the still active Meyer-Werft is 6 to 8 mio Euro. But with the confirmation of HeidelbergCement, a realization draws closer. You may ask what this has to do with drymix mortar? We at drymix.info support strongly the conservation of MS Liemba as a signal for peace and cooperation in an otherwise war-torn and poverty-stricken area of the world.

The Municipality of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has launched a tender process to build a new metro system in the Nation's capital city. According to al-Watan daily, about four-fifths of the network would be underground, including a line running under al-Olaya Street. Riyadh is notorious for dense traffic, blocked intersections and endless traffic jams. In April, the Saudi Cabinet approved plans to develop a new public transport network in the city within four years that would include both a metro and a new fleet of buses. The project will be overseen by a committee headed by Prince Sattam, who was appointed Riyadh Governor in November and is chairman of Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA), is also includes representatives of various Government bodies such as the Finance and Transport Ministers. The ADA asks bidders to prequalify for the project, which should be completed in 2016.

Knauf GmbH & Co. KG, Iphofen, Germany has announced the construction of a new gypsum board and drymix mortar plant near Shanghai in China. According to Martin Grundke, CEO of Knauf-Group, Knauf is already producing about 65 mio sq. m. of gypsum board in China at three locations, the new plant adds another 50% to the existing capacity. Details about the capacity and the protfolio of the mortar production facility were not disclosed. Knauf's main competition in China are two government-owned local producers with a combined capacity of 1.100 mio sq. m. Knauf is active in China since 1997.

In February 2012, Billerud Finland Oy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Billerud AB, Solna, Sweden, had announced it will take over the packaging paper operations at the Pietarsaari and Tervasaari mills of UPM Kymmene Corporation, Helsinki, Finland. The purchase price is around 130 million Euro. According to Billerud CEO Per Lindberg, Billerud obtains higher pulp capacities, minimizes currency risks and strengthens its position in packaging paper with this acquisition. The transaction involves Billerud taking over one paper machine at Pietarsaari and one at Tervasaari, both in Finland. In 2011, sales amounted to around 220 million Euro. Manufactured products are various packaging papers (sack/kraft paper) with extensive areas of use in the food, retail, construction and other industries. The relevant Anti-Trust Authorities have now given a green light for the acquisition. Completion of the acquisition is expected to take place during the second quarter of 2012.

SE Tylose GmbH & Co. KG, Wiesbaden, Germany, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan has announced to build a plant for hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) in in Plaquemine, Louisiana, USA. The production capacity of the new plant will be 9.000 tons of HEC per year, the product is predominatly used in the paints and coatings industries. The investment amount will be about US$ 120 mio. The new plant will be located on a lot that is part of the vast land of about 7,000 acres (2.833 hectares) owned in Plaquemine, Louisiana by Shintech, the U.S. subsidiary company of Shin-Etsu Chemical. Pending the approval of the local authorities, SE Tylose expects to begin construction late this year and start-up operations at the beginning of 2014.

Including the new plant in Louisiana, Se Tylose's HEC capacity will reach 25.000 in 2014. Shin-Etsu Chemical also operates methyl cellulose plants in Naoetsu, Japan and in Wiesbaden, Germany, the capacity there is 70.000 tons/year. Apart from satisfying market demand in NAFTA and Latin America, SE Tylose will also have the advantage of operating in two currency zones (Euro and US$), which avoids currency exchange losses.

The drymix.info Newsletter is being sent exclusively to registered subscribers and all members of drymix.info. Editor-in-Chief: Ferdinand Leopolder. Back issues will be published on www.drymix.info.

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Sincerely Yours, Ferdinand Leopolder