(Hong Kong, 13 August 2021) – China Resources Cement Holdings Limited (SEHK stock code: 1313), announced its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2021.
During the Period, the Company's consolidated turnover increased by 19.5% year-on-year to approximately HK$20.2 billion. Profit attributable to owners of the Company reached HK$3.6 billion. Basic earnings per share was HK$0.520. The interim dividend was HK$0.240, with a dividend payout ratio of 46.1%. As at 30 June 2021, the total assets of the Company amounted to HK$69.6 billion and the net assets per share increased by 19.8% year-on-year to HK$7.37.
From a business overview standpoint, the Company's total external sales volume of cement, clinker and concrete were approximately 41.6 million tons, 2.0 million tons and 7.0 million m3 respectively. The utilization rates of cement, clinker and concrete production lines during the Period were 97.2%, 108.2% and 39.1%. The blended average selling price of cement and clinker increased by 0.8% year-on-year to HK$381 per ton, whereas the average selling price of concrete increased by 2.6% year-on-year to HK$505 per m3. The consolidated gross margin of the Company was 31.1% and the net margin was 18.0%.
China Resources Cement actively seizes development opportunities of new businesses to fully leverage on the synergetic advantages of cement, concrete, aggregates, new materials and prefabricated construction businesses for promoting industrial integrative development. In terms of the aggregates business, the Company newly acquired the mining rights of two aggregates quarries located in Wuxuan County and Nanning City of Guangxi respectively in February and June 2021, with respective planned annual production capacity of 6.5 million tons and 9.8 million tons. After completion of all aggregates projects of the Company, the annual production capacity is expected to reach approximately 75 million tons.
The Company actively developed engineered stones business. In the first half of 2021, the Company increased its equity interests of Universal Classical and became its controlling shareholder. Universal Classical owned one inorganic engineered stone production line with planned annual production capacity of 600,000 m2 in Dongguan City, Guangdong, and is expanding one production line of inorganic engineered stones with planned annual production capacity of approximately 1.5 million m2. In addition, the Company had been building two inorganic engineered stone production lines in Laibin City, Guangxi, with total planned annual production capacities of approximately 3.0 million m2. Following the completion of construction, the planned annual production capacity of all inorganic engineered stone production lines is expected to reach approximately 5.1 million m2 in total. On the other hand, the Company had been building two production lines for tile adhesive in Fengkai County, Guangdong, with planned annual production capacity of approximately 400,000 tons in total. Its products can be sold to the Pearl River Delta and Guangxi regions through waterways.
With regards to prefabricated construction business, the Zhanjiang Runyang project had commenced trial production in March 2021. In addition, following the business layout plans in Guangdong and Guangxi, in August, the Company had acquired a prefabricated construction project in Dingan County, Hainan, with design annual production capacity of precast concrete components of approximately 300,000 m3. As at 30 June 2021, the Company has planned for 7 prefabricated construction projects in total. Following the completion of construction, the design annual production capacity of precast concrete components of the Group is expected to reach approximately 1.6 million m3 in total.
As at 30 June 2021, the Company had 97 cement grinding lines and 46 clinker production lines in operation, with annual production capacity of 85.3 million tons of cement and 62.7 million tons of clinker respectively. The Company also owned 60 concrete batching plants with annual production capacity of 36.0 million m3 of concrete. In addition, through our equity interests in certain associates and joint ventures, the respective annual production capacities attributable to the Company were 21.7 million tons of cement, 12.1 million tons of clinker and 4.2 million m3 of concrete.
During the "Fourteenth Five-Year" period, China Resources Cement will position in the new development stage, thoroughly implement the new development philosophy and build a new development paradigm. We will strengthen, optimize and expand each business, continue to reinforce the three core strengths of the "leading market position in the region, innovation-driven development, lowest total costs", commit to enhancing efficiency and quality of operation and improving the management standards of environmental protection, safety and health. We will deepen brand marketing and the construction of sales channels, consolidate market share, strengthen the capability in research and development of new products, new technologies and new materials, and promote construction of digitalization and intelligentization for the creation of competitive advantage by differentiation. The Company will actively fulfil corporate social responsibility, promote co-processing by the use of cement kilns and foster green development of the industry. In addition, China Resources Cement will proactively seize opportunities in the development of the Greater Bay Area, accelerate the pace of transformation and innovation, and advance the sustainable development of the cement industry in China.
