05 March 2015
Malaysia: Quarrying at Gunung Kanthan, Perak by Lafarge Malaysia has alarmed green groups, who said that work has encro¬ached close to 'sensitive' areas. A small hill within the limestone mountain's southern area was reportedly mined in January 2015. Concern that rocks from Area B where the hill was located would be strewn along the adjacent Area C have caused fears that quarrying there would follow.
Gunung Kanthan, which is home to many endangered species of flora and fauna, is divided into several sections with Areas C and D located in the south. Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) president Henry Goh, who confirmed that quarrying had been conducted on the hill, cautioned that the removal of forestry there would have damaging effects on Areas C and D. Two new flora species were recently discovered in Area C, which is also home to nine species that are on Malaysia's Red List of Endangered Plants.
Goh said that Lafarge Malaysia had assured him that Areas C and D would not be affected. He also claimed that temples embedded in or around the mountain had received evacuation notices. Goh said that a biodiversity report by Universiti Malaya, commissioned by Lafarge Malaysia, had not been revealed.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has highlighted its concerns to Lafarge chairman Bruno Lafont. "We are concerned to learn that a road is being blasted immediately adjacent to Area C," said IUCN Species Survival Commission chairman Simon Stuart. He stated that Google Earth images showed that the forested valley next to Area C 'is being filled with rubble.'
Lafarge Mal¬aysia vice-president Mariano Garcia maintained that Areas C and D were out of the mining plans. He said that he did not know of the evacuation notices, but that monks and temple staff had entered the quarry site and verbally abused his workers. He also said Lafarge Malaysia had been trying to meet the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) to no avail.
Slovenia: Lafarge said that the country's environment inspectorate has ordered the plant to suspend operations as it lacks environmental permits. The inspectorate acted following a recent decision from the European Commission to refer Slovenia to the European Court of Justice for failing to issue an industrial permit to a major cement plant. The Commission is also asking for fines to be imposed.
Lafarge said in a statement on its website that it will respect the decision and shut down the kiln on 5 March 2015, but would lodge a complaint with the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning. Lafarge said that in the process of obtaining the required licences, it had operated in accordance with all relevant environmental standards and that numerous studies have shown that the plant does not have a major impact on local air quality. It also stressed that it had invested more than Euro33m to modernise the plant since it was bought by Lafarge some 13 years ago.
Saudi Arabia: Yanbu Cement Company (YCC) has signed a contract to set up a 34MW waste heat recovery (WHR) system at its 8.5Mt/yr capacity cement plant near Yanbu with China's Sinoma Energy Conservation Ltd for US$61.8m.
The WHR system will be on stream by the end of 2016 and will be one of the largest of its kind at a cement plant in the world. It will be the largest in Saudi Arabia. Once operational, this WHR system will result in substantial savings in terms of fuel dependence for power generation from the diesel power station. Carbon emissions at the plant will be reduced by more than 100,000t/yr. About 25% of YCC's energy requirement will be met from the WHR system.
Cemex reaches new collective agreement with workers 05 March 2015
Venezuela: Cemex has reached an agreement with the trade union representing its workers, Sintracea, regarding a new collective agreement. It is understood that discussions over a new agreement had been stalled for several years. As part of the new agreement, workers will receive a pay rise of Euro426, effective from 1 April 2015. This will benefit 1043 workers employed by Cemex at its plant in Pertigalete, Guanta, Anzoategui.
New appointments at Cemex 05 March 2015
UK: Martin Langvad has been appointed as vice president of cement operations and technology (Northern Europe). Martin has worked for Cemex for 19 years and has more than 30 years experience in the cement industry. With the reorganisation of Cemex in Germany, he has taken over responsibility for cement production in the UK and will continue to be the head of the Northern Europe cement operations.
Philip Baynes-Clarke has taken over responsibility as plant director at Rugby cement plant. His previous role as plant director at the South Ferriby, Humberside plant has been taken by Jan Kristof Peters. Baynes-Clarke has been in the cement industry for 13 years and started at Rugby cement plant as a graduate process engineer.
Jan Kristof Peters has worked for Cemex Germany for five years, starting as a process engineer and more recently as a production manager at the Kollenbach plant. Prior to joining Cemex, Peters worked in the lime industry.