Displaying items by tag: GCW269
Mali government signs agreement to build 1.5Mt/yr cement plant
19 September 2016Mali: 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.
Votorantim obtains environmental product declarations
19 September 2016Brazil: 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.
Lafarge Malaysia faces clean-up costs after accidental dust discharge
19 September 2016Malaysia: 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.
LafargeHolcim cuts 250 jobs as it completes merger
16 September 2016Switzerland: LafargeHolcim has announced that it will shed around 250 jobs as part of a reorganisation of its global operations. The announcement comes following the completion of merger proceedings between the former Lafarge and Holcim.
There will be 250 job reductions in corporate functions by the end of 2017, of which around 130 will be in Holderbank, Switzerland, 80 in L'Isle d'Abeau, France, and the remainder in other global sites in the rest of the world. This represents around 0.25% of LafargeHolcim’s 100,000 staff.
FLSmidth signs operation and maintenance contract with Wadi El Nile Cement Company
15 September 2016Egypt: FLSmidth has signed a contract with Wadi El Nile Cement Company (WNCC) for operation and maintenance of its cement plant. The contract is a five-year continuation of the existing contract signed in 2010. In addition, WNCC also ordered an upgrade of the plant from 6000t/day to 7200t/day of clinker. The upgrade will be executed as part of the operation and maintenance contract. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
"The continuation of the contract is visible proof of the successful partnership we have with WNCC. We have now operated their 6000t/day for almost five years. The performance delivered was the main driver for WNCC to expand and continue its partnership with FLSmidth. The extension of the operation and maintenance contract reflects our ability to increase our customers' productivity and preserve asset value," said FLSmdith Group Executive Vice President, Cement Division, Per Mejnert Kristensen.
The initial contract will expire at the end of 2016 and the new contract term is from January 2017 to December 2021. The upgrade to 7200t/day is planned to be operational from the summer of 2017.
Lafarge North America to lay off workers at Joppa cement plant
15 September 2016US: Lafarge North America plans to lay off an estimated 40 workers at his Joppa cement plant in Illinois. The move follows a decision to shut down one of the plants two kilns due to poor demand, according to WSIL-TV. The announcement follows the cement producer’s decision to scrap its expansion at the plant in May 2016. It previously said that no job losses were anticipated.
Procemcol opens cement plant in Sogamoso
15 September 2016Colombia: Procemcol has opened its 0.24Mt/yr Productora de Cemento SAS cement plant in Sogamoso. The project had an investment of US$10.2m and it will create 65 jobs, according to the El Tiempo newspaper. Sogamoso also has two other cement plants, owned by Cementos Argos and Cementos del Oriente, which are upgrading their equipment.
European Bank for Reconstruction & Development confirms decision to raise stake in Holcim Azerbaijan cement plant
15 September 2016Azerbaijan: The board of directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development's (EBRD) has decided to raise its stake in Holcim Azerbaijan to 20%. The move is intended to support the company’s energy efficiency through the use of alternative fuels.
“The bank will continue to support a major company in Azerbaijan, demonstrating continued support for the country's non-oil sector,” said the bank in a statement. “In addition, the company is committed to sustainability standards and will pursue the use of alternative fuels in its operations.”
LafargeHolcim acquired a controlling stake in Holcim Azerbaijan, formerly Garadagh OJSC, during a privatization process in 1999. The EBRD currently owns a 10% share in the cement producer.
Sarbottam launches cement brands in Nepal
15 September 2016Nepal: Sarbottam Cement, part of the Saurabh Group, has launched its Ordinary Portland Cement and Portland Slag Cement brands. The company operates a 0.4Mt/yr cement grinding plant at Ramnagar.