(China5e, Oct 25, 2006) Under guidance from the Chinese industrial authority, enterprises in the cement equipment technology and engineering sector should further enhance their technological capability, increase energy efficiency and boost innovation to facilitate an industry reshuffle and upgrade during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10), sources from Sinoma Group said. 

"The national industrial watchdog has given us clear guidance for further development in the next five years. Technological capability, energy efficiency and innovation are priorities that all relevant companies should pay close attention to," Tan Zhongming, president of Sinoma Group, told China Daily. 

As a key player within this particular sector, Sinoma International Engineering Co Ltd, a Shanghai-listed branch under Sinoma Group, or the China National Materials Industry Group Corp, should play a leading role in eliminating outdated technology and facilitating further industrial structural adjustment, Tan said. 

"We should and do actually try our utmost to develop and apply environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient technologies and solutions," Tan added. 

Besides imposing high demand on equipment and engineering solution providers, the industrial reshuffle will also offer companies like Sinoma International more business opportunities. 

The authority's higher demands in terms of technology upgrades, energy efficiency and environmental protection will also accelerate the process for Sinoma International's clients to adopt new equipment and more advanced technologies for cement production. 

Nearly half of China's existing cement manufacturing capacity is expected to be technologically upgraded during the 11th Five-Year Plan, while newly added capacities will also need further investment for equipment and engineering services, Tan predicted. 

All these factors will provide Sinoma International with golden growth opportunities, and the company has to take active measures to seize them. 

According to Tan, Sinoma International is figuring out every means to lower costs while boosting the quality of its projects both at home and abroad. 

To be more specific, the firm is promoting new technologies and energy-efficient solutions to better protect the environment and facilitate technological upgrades of the whole industry, according to Tan. 

"During the country's 11th Five-Year Plan, we will continue to enhance technological capability, slam energy consumption and encourage innovation," Tan told China Daily, prior to the Intercem China Conference to be held in Beijing from today to Wednesday. Authorized by the State Council and co-organized by Intercem and Sinoma, the conference will address topics such as sustainable development in the cement sector. 

Tan told China Daily that Sinoma is sparing no efforts to work out new sustainable technologies and adopt a more proactive marketing approach to further tap both the Chinese and foreign markets. 

In response to the State's call for energy efficiency and environmental protection, Sinoma will invest in research and development (R&D) on a yearly basis for innovation and new technologies, Tan said. 

"For instance, we have invented a solution to generate electricity by making use of the low-temperature waste heat from cement plants. We anticipate half of the required power capacity in cement plants will come from this in the future," Tan said. 

It is a common practice within the industry to generate power from high-temperature waste heat, but not from low-temperature waste heat. "Using low-temperature waste heat is one of our innovations," Tan added. 

As far as the country's policy on cement production is concerned, Tan is supportive of the macroeconomic adjustment to restrict cement plant building and production, though the rule may hinder Sinoma International's business in the short term. 

"We believe the national policy of reining in the overheated development of the cement sector is the right decision for the sake of sustainable development," Tan said. 

In the short term, Sinoma may sign up less projects with existing or potential cement makers because of the stringent policy. In the long run, however, structural adjustment will bring more benefits to the industry as a whole and make it stronger," Tan said. 

Sinoma Group is a State-owned enterprise with a series of core technologies and innovation capabilities in the non-metallic materials industry in China. 

The company is involved in manufacturing, R&D, product design, project construction and equipment manufacturing as well as international trade. The group has been listed among the China Top 500 enterprises for consecutive years. 
source:China5e