09 February 2016
FLSmidth signs Euro200m contract to supply cement plant in Algeria 09 February 2016
Algeria/Denmark: FLSmidth has signed a Euro200m engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with SARL Amouda Engineering for the supply of a greenfield cement plant. The plant will be located in El Beida, Laghouat.
The order includes engineering, equipment supplies, construction, commissioning and training. Once completed, the cement plant will have a capacity of 6000t/day.
"EPC solutions are increasingly requested by the industry and we are very happy that SARL Amouda Engineering chose FLSmidth as the preferred supplier based on a very close collaboration and our extensive knowledge of the region,” said Group Executive Vice President of the Cement Division Per Mejnert Kristensen.
Production resumes at JK Cement plant in Baglakot 09 February 2016
India: Production has resumed at the 3Mt/yr JK Cement plant in Baglakot, Karnataka. It was temporality stopped following the sudden caving-in of the clinker silo roof in January 2016.
"Production of clinker and cement has resumed with operation of the kiln by making an alternate arrangement using two belts conveyors for feeding the clinker directly to the cement mill," said the company in a statement.
While production was suspended the company has been supplying the market using supplies at its depots. Normal levels of production are expected to be achieved by late February 2016. The clinker silo is expected to be repaired within six months.
Cementos Argos launches CO2 capturing concrete in Atlanta 09 February 2016
US: Cementos Argos has started incorporating and capturing recycled carbon dioxide (CO2) in several of the concrete mixtures it produces at its US plants, specifically the ones in Atlanta, Georgia. The CO2 is collected, stored and taken to the plant by the Canadian company CarbonCure, which developed the batching technology. The gas chemically reacts with the calcium hydroxide and the water of the concrete, making insoluble calcium carbonate.
“We are extremely proud of being the first company in the United States to be able to offer its customers a product with CO2-capturing and incorporating properties. This concrete, even when demolished, never releases the CO2 contained within its structure, allowing us to close the gas’ cycle and contribute to making the construction sector more and more sustainable and eco-friendly,” said Jorge Mario Velásquez, CEO of Cementos Argos.
Holcim Mexico launches updated version of Holcim Fuerte 09 February 2016
Mexico: Holcim Mexico has launched an updated version of Holcim Fuerte, a cement product aimed at the self-construction and housing sector. It is being advertised as providing better performance and savings of up to 30% per cubic meter placed. More than US$7m has been spent on developing the product including two years of laboratory studies and field trials. A national multi-channel advertising campaign in Mexico has been launched to raise awareness of the product.
LafargeHolcim receives revised approval from Competition Commission of India for sale of Lafarge India 09 February 2016
India: LafargeHolcim has received a revised order from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for the sale of its stake in Lafarge India. This includes three cement plants and two grinding stations with a total capacity of around 11Mt/yr. The company also markets aggregates and is one of India’s leading ready-mix concrete manufacturers. The proposed transaction is an alternate remedy for the merger of the Group’s legacy companies and now forms part of the company’s Euro3.18bn divestment target in 2016.
“We will operate in India through our subsidiaries ACC and Ambuja Cements with a combined cement capacity of around 63Mt and a distribution network that extends across the entire country. We see opportunities to further build our business in India through our network of over 100,000 dealers and retailers, and by meeting the infrastructure needs of a country that is experiencing significant urbanization,” said Eric Olsen, CEO of LafargeHolcim.
The conditional clearance by the CCI for an earlier divestment proposal was received in April 2015, including the divestment of Jojobera and Sonadih plants in Eastern India with a cement capacity of 5.1Mt. LafargeHolcim subsequently entered into a letter agreement with Birla Corporation Limited, subject to CCI approval, in August 2015. However, due to the current regulatory issues relating to the transfer of captive mining rights and critical to the two plants, LafargeHolcim was obliged to submit an alternate remedy to the CCI to ensure compliance with the order.
As a result, LafargeHolcim will now launch a new divestment process for Lafarge India.