Displaying items by tag: Holcim
President inaugurates fourth Holcim Village in Akmeemana
22 September 2015Sri Lanka: The Holcim Village in Akmeemana, Galle, which was constructed by Holcim under its Sustainable Development Project and following its pledge for Livable Communities, has been inaugurated by president Maitripala Sirisena.
The president unveiled a plaque to mark the opening of the Holcim Village and distributed deeds to recipients. The village consists of 14 households and is the fourth of its kind. The Galle project was constructed after Holcim's similar projects in Medirigiriya, Eluwankulama and Puttalam and was designed to cater to the needs of the community surrounding the Ruhunu Cement plant.
The CEO of Holcim Lanka, Philippe Richart, said that the newly-established village was proof of the company's commitment to serve surrounding communities and support their needs.
Jammu Department of Legal Metrology raids Ambuja Cement
18 September 2015India: The Jammu Department of Legal Metrology has registered a case against Ambuja Cement and seized a large quantity of cement bags.
The minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Destruction (CAPD), Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, said that the Department of Legal Metrology had received various complaints about the abuse of Ambuja Cement's dominant position by selling cement at different prices across the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The department said that it could not get a 'satisfactory' response from Ambuja Cement. As a result, a team of officers inspected Ambuja Cement's depot at Kunjwani and booked Ambuja Cement for gross violation of the Legal Metrology Act and Rules. They were also found to be in violation of the Competition Act of 2002 by selling their products deliberately at the predated price to sabotage the local competition. Zulfkar Ali said that, during the inspection, it was found that Ambuja Cement was selling the same batch of Pozolana Portland Cement in different coloured bags marked with different prices for Jammu and Kashmir. The bags were also found to weigh 400 – 600g less than the 50kg label, while mandatory declarations were also not marked as per the provisions of the Packaged Commodity Rules.
A seizure memo has been issued and the cement sales have been stopped until Ambuja Cement provides the reasons for the discrepancies, according to Zulfkar Ali.
Volcan could sell Polpaico stake
08 September 2015Chile/Peru: Peruvian mining company Volcan could sell its share in Chilean cement producer Polpaico if metal prices continue to fall, according to Volcan's CFO Jorge Murillo. Volcan could receive around US$27m for its approximate 20% stake in the business. Holcim, part of LafargeHolcim, owns 54.3% of Polpaico, which has 2.7Mt/yr of cement production capacity.
Holcim Liban net profits down 78% in first half of 2015
08 September 2015Lebanon: Holcim Liban has reported US$2m of unaudited net profits in the first half of 2015, a decrease of 78.3% from net earnings of US$9.4m in the same period of 2014. The company's sales fell by 28.5% year-on-year to US$66.7m in the first half of 2015. Its gross profits margin reached 28% compared to 30.7% in the first half of 2014. Holcim Liban's assets fell by 3% year-on-year to US$275m at the end of June 2015
Cement sales fall by 7.04% in first seven months of 2015 in Ecuador
01 September 2015Ecuador: Cement sales fell by 7.04% to 3.38Mt between January and July 2015 compared to 3.64Mt in the same period in 2014, according to data from the Ecuadorian Institute of Cement and Concrete (INECYC). Sales are expected to drop between 10% and 15% in 2015 compared to 2014 when sales of 6.47Mt were recorded.
Consumption is high in Guayas, Azuay, Manabí and Pichincha, according to El Telegrafo. Holcim holds 60.5% of the local market, followed by Unacem (formerly Lafarge) with 22.5% and Union Cementera Nacional (UCEM) with 17%. Recent developments include a US$400m modernisation project at Holcim's Guayaquil plant and a US$230m expansion by Cementera Nacional with Cementos Yura to expand the Riobamba plant.
Probe into Loma Negra and Holcim in Argentina requested
24 August 2015Argentina: Mateo Aleman, the head of the Chaco Construction Company Centre (CEC) has requested that Argentina's national government review the conduct of cement firms Loma Negra and Holcim. He claims that they have been cutting back on cement supplies for several months, in breach of Argentina's Supply Law. According to Aleman, a lack of supply has created a huge price distortions in the market where speculators have been known to double prices, as in the case in the interior of Chaco province.
US: Holcim (US), part of LafargeHolcim, has announced that five of its plants earned the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) prestigious Energy Star.
"We are pleased that the EPA has recognised Holcim's continued commitment to environmentally sound practices by awarding five of our plants with the Energy Star Award," said John Stull, chief executive officer of Holcim (US). "Sustainability is a core component of our values and a priority for our employees at every plant and facility."
This marks the fourth time Holcim's Portland plant in Florence, Colorado and the Midlothian plant in Midlothian, Texas have received the award, while the Devil's Slide plant in Morgan, Utah has been honoured for its eight consecutive year. The Holly Hill plant in Holly Hill, South Carolina and the Ste. Genevieve plant in Bloomsdale, Missouri are both receiving the award for the sixth time.
Holcim uses shoes as alternative fuel in Vietnam
19 August 2015Vietnam: Holcim is using shoes as an alternative fuel in Vientam thanks to its new solid recovered fuel (SRF) plant from shredding specialist Untha, according to Equipment World.
The new SRF plant will use waste from Vietnam's largest shoe factory once it has been delivered. It was pre-assembled and tested in Austria and is currently being shipped by sea to Holcim in Vietnam. Delivery is expected in September 2015. The SRF plant will convert the waste by using an anti-explosive Atex-specification XR3000 Cutter waste shredder with two 113kW motors, conveyor, over-band magnet, control room and water-powered fire suppression technology. The plant can process 10t of material into the 8mm, high calorific value fuel.
Holcim’s US$50m silo inflated on Auckland's waterfront
12 August 2015New Zealand: A controversial new US$50m dome-shaped silo for storing cement has been inflated on Auckland's waterfront in New Zealand.
The state-of-the-art 28m-high silo holds 30,000t of cement and is located at a Ports of Auckland site on the corner of Plumer and Quay Streets, opposite Vector Arena. The dome's outer skin is made of a membrane similar to that used to build the Cloud on Queens Wharf. Consent to build the silo was granted on a non-notified basis, meaning the public did not have a say, angering groups concerned about the port's growing footprint on the waterfront.
Holcim New Zealand country manager Glenda Harvey said that the storage dome signalled a major milestone for the company. Holcim is investing US$100m to build two 30,000t new storage facilities in Auckland and Timaru as part of its business strategy of global sourcing for supply into the New Zealand market. The Auckland terminal will provide effective access to the major market of the greater Auckland and upper North Island while the terminal in Timaru would provide effective distribution to the whole of the South Island market and lower North Island.
"The project falls within the existing port operations and the company has all the approvals required," said Harvey. "We continue to work closely with the Ports of Auckland and the Auckland Council to ensure all regulatory requirements are met. We have contacted residents and businesses in the nearby vicinity of the new terminal in Auckland around the timing of the dome going up, as part of our commitment to keep them informed." Holcim hopes to have the terminal fully operational by the end of 2016.
Philippines: Holcim Philippines will invest up to US$40m to expand its production capacity from 8Mt/yr to 10Mt/yr target by the end of 2016.
Holcim Philippines president and CEO Eduardo A Sahagun said that the company was gearing up to improve its facilities in Calaca and Mabini in Batangas, as well as in Norzagaray in Bulacan. Sahagun said that the newly-acquired Star terminal of Lafarge Republic would also increase its production capacity.
"We are reviving a lot of projects. Our Calaca plant is easily adjustable to additional volume as well as the Mabini plant and the Star terminal. The Star terminal could double our capacity. Cement demand is growing and we have no option but to raise our supply," said Sahagun. He expects to see surging market demand due to new public-private partnership (PPP) projects and as more infrastructure major players in the country have announced expansion plans.
"The market prospects remain bright as construction activity is expected to continue," said Sahagun. He attributed the growth to higher private construction activities and accelerated government infrastructure spending.
"Our investment in plant upgrades allows our plants to run longer before scheduled maintenance activities. This will pay off in the current market environment as we are able to meet the demands of customers," Sahagun added.