US: Lafarge has reiterated that its expansion and modernisation plan at its Ravena plant in New York State is on track, hitting back at rumours from recently laid-off employees that the company had slowed down or even scrapped its plans to expand the site. 

During a press tour of the site, Lafarge's environmental manager for North America, John Reagan, provided evidence that the project had moved to a pre-construction stage. The US$300m modernisation project underwent nearly three years of permitting with the Final Environmental Impact Statement granted in the summer of 2011. Contractors are dismantling structures at the adjacent Callanan Industry site, so that Lafarge has the room for expansion.

Reagan said that the final design and procurement of materials is ongoing with the construction phase planned from late 2011 to 2014, with start-up planned for mid-2014 and full operation planned for 2015. “2015 seems like a long time from now,” Reagan said, “But it’s not much time to complete all the work that has to be done.” Additionally, the senior project manager, John Light, spoke of the upcoming procurement of heavy equipment including new vertical roller mills.

Over the past few weeks several former Lafarge employees, some of whom were among the 39 laid off on 27 October 2011, have accused the company of everything from not intending to build the new plant to mismanagement. One has accused the company of doing just the bare minimum required to keep the permits valid before closing the plant when the permits expire. 

Lafarge said that it plans to stay in Ravena and that the layoffs and the cut in production were related to the ailing US economy. The plant will soon go to a one-kiln operation, a 50% reduction in capacity. “Demand for cement will determine what capacity we run at,” said Reagan. “We anticipate, based on industry forecasts, that demand will not change much during the next two years."