19 September 2016
Lafarge Malaysia faces clean-up costs after accidental dust discharge 19 September 2016
Malaysia: Lafarge Malaysia is facing clean-up costs following the release of dust from its Langkawi cement plant on 12 September 2016. Dust from the plant was accidentally released due to repair work on a clogged processing unit. It was then blown by the wind to three nearby villages comprising around 1000 houses, according to the Free Malaysia Today newspaper. Management at the plant has apologised for the incident and has agreed to cover the cost of the clean up.
Votorantim obtains environmental product declarations 19 September 2016
Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos has received Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for five of its products. The company is the first in Brazil to obtain such certifications under the International Organization for Standardisation, according to Jornal Dia Dia. EPDs are comprised of reports about products' environmental impacts from the extraction phase to the final consumer.
Votorantim Cimentos' clients are now closer to obtaining sustainable construction certificates such as AQUA and LEED. According to a World Green Building Trends report, the number of sustainable projects record a two to six-fold increase every three years. In Brazil, the expansion rate for such projects is expected to increase from 6% to 36% over the next three years.
Mali government signs agreement to build 1.5Mt/yr cement plant 19 September 2016
Mali: Mohamed Ali Ibrahim Ag, the Minister of Industrial Development, and the CEO of Gaia Equity have signed an agreement to build a 1.5Mt/yr cement plant at Guinbané for US$330m. The project will create 400 direct jobs and 500 indirect jobs, according to the Mali Jet news website. Gaia Equity will be supported by Chinese company Sinoma in the construction of the plant. The plant is expected to ease the country’s 2Mt/yr demand for cement.