Displaying items by tag: LafargeHolcim
Hima Cement sells cement via WhatsApp
02 February 2021Uganda: Hima Cement has introduced Kafluu, a chatbot-led initiative that lets customers order products via WhatsApp. The subsidiary of LafargeHolcim says that customers can use the platform 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to manage their orders and transactions. The automated chatbot software guides customers through the ordering process, gathering specifics like the product type, number of bags, delivery site and payment options. Payment is available via MTN MoMo Pay or bank transfer.
“We are always looking to improve the customer experience and Kafluu is able to respond quickly and effectively, enabling customers to place orders, make payments and input their delivery information with ease,” says Israel Tinkasimiire, the Hima Cement Sales Director.
The initiative is being piloted in Mbarara first before rollout in the rest of the country.
Cemex sells French concrete assets to LafargeHolcim
02 February 2021France: Mexico-based Cemex has sold 24 concrete plants and an aggregates quarry in southeast France to Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim. Finalisation of the deal is expected in April 2021 and no approval by competition bodies is required. No value for the sale has been disclosed. The group said that the divestment is part of its strategy of focused portfolio development into high-growth markets.
Lafarge France completes Euro3m upgrade to Larrieu concrete plant
02 February 2021France: LafargeHolcim subsidiary Lafarge France has completed the renovation of its 70m3/hr Larrieu concrete plant in Toulouse, Haute-Garonne Department. The renovated facility is equipped with six cement silos, two of which are dedicated to low-carbon cements for the production of ECOPact low-carbon concrete. It also has eight aggregate hoppers, including one dedicated to recycled concrete aggregates, and two mixer loading stations with forward truck access for safety. The total cost of the upgrade was Euro3m.
Haute-Garonne sector head Vincent Pelloquin praised the project’s speed and ability to rebuild the concrete plant in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lafarge France is presently engaged in a systematic modernisation of its concrete plants.
LafargeHolcim partners with Massachusetts Institute of Technology as founder member of MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium.
29 January 2021US: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim has become a founder member of the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The group says that the consortium aims to accelerate climate action through innovation. It says that it will represent the building materials industry in working with MIT’s research team to develop ‘scalable solutions’ to tackle climate change. It joins 12 other companies, including Apple, Boeing and IBM.
Chief executive officer Jan Jenisch said, “I am committed to building a net zero future, driving innovative and sustainable building solutions that work for people and the planet. With the urgency of today’s climate crisis, no single organisation can tackle it alone. That’s why I am proud to be joining MIT’s alliance of like-minded industry leaders and academic partners to scale up our climate action together.”
Lafarge Africa to sell 35% stake in CBI Ghana
26 January 2021Ghana/Nigeria: LafargeHolcim subsidiary Lafarge Africa plans to sell its 35% subsidiary Continental Blue Investment (CBI) Ghana. CBI Ghana runs the Supacem brand from the Tema Free Zone near Accra. It reportedly started building a cement grinding plant at the site in 2017 for a cost of US$55m.
Canada: LafargeHolcim subsidiary Lafarge Canada, Svante and France-based Total have completed Phase 2 of the CO2MENT carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at Lafarge Canada’s Richmond cement plant. The completed phase consisted of construction and installation of the CO2MENT technology to capture and filter the flue gas. Lafarge Canada said that Phase 3, scheduled for construction over the next three years, will include the installation of a liquefaction unit, the development of an expansion project to further reduce emissions and a business case review for further expansion across the Lafarge network
Western Canada president and chief executive officer Brad Kohl said “This has been a turbulent year for business and people due to the Covid-19 pandemic with many large scale projects being put on hold, but the perseverance that the people working at the Richmond cement plant continue to show is evident in the success of Project CO2MENT.” He added “To continue leading change in the building materials industry means we are always looking to partner with like-minded thought leaders such as Svante and Total. This partnership is showcasing our drive towards a net-zero future, and we are seeing this vision become a reality right now with the completion of this phase.”
Czech Republic: Lafarge Cement has appointed Pavel Zdeněk as its sales director. He is a graduate in economics and trade in construction from the Czech Technical University in Prague. During his professional career, he has worked for companies such as Gfk and Icoma Research, in account management roles, before becoming the director of Soprema for the Czech Republic and Slovakia. His most recent position was a division manager at 3M Czechia, where he was responsible for marketing and sales of industrial tapes and adhesives for the automotive industry.
Holcim España begins consultation on staff reductions at Jerez cement plant for transition to grinding only
20 January 2021Spain: LafargeHolcim subsidiary Holcim España has informed the works council and employees of its Jerez de la Frontera cement plant of possible planned changes to the plant’s production structure. The company intends to convert the cement plant into a grinding-only facility. The reasons for the decision were regional overcapacity, falling export volumes and prices and reduced allocations of EU CO2 emissions credits. It says that under the plan the new grinding plant would continue to serve the market in the region. The communication constitutes the beginning of a collective dismissal process.
General director Isidoro Miranda said that the company wants “to work with the social partners to reach an agreement that allows the continuity of our activity in the town of Jerez.”
Holcim Switzerland starts using electric concrete mixer trucks
19 January 2021Switzerland: Holcim Switzerland has started using three full electric concrete mixer trucks. The subsidiary of LafargeHolcim is working with Designwerk, a Switzerland-based company specialising in the electric mobility sector. Designwerk has equipped a motorless basic chassis of a Volvo vehicle with electric motors for both locomotion and the mixing drum. This is intended to be sustainable and offer quiet driving, mixing and unloading. The three vehicles are expected to save around 90t/yr of CO2.
The trucks are labeled with the Futuricum brand and are active in the St Gallen, Zurich and Basel regions. The building materials company says that electric vehicles suit concrete logistics because they cover relatively short transport routes and have a fixed starting point with a battery charging station in the Holcim concrete works. Holcim says it obtains the electricity it needs exclusively from renewable energy sources.
LafargeHolcim demolishes silo at Port of Algeciras
18 January 2021Spain: LafargeHolcim has successfully demolished a 78.5m high silo at its Los Barrios Port Terminal in the Port of Algeciras. The company is currently dismantling its unit at the port. A specialised company was hired by the cement producer to conduct the operation following a survey.