Displaying items by tag: Italy
Plant worker dies on first day
10 August 2018Italy: A 37-year old maintenance worker died on 9 August 2018 at the Buzzi Cement plant at Fanna, Pordenone, Italy. It was his first day on the job. Initial investigations have indicated that he was electrocuted by touching live electrical equipment. Investigations continue.
Italy: Buzzi Unicem’s sales revenue and earnings have suffered from negative currency effects in the first half of 2018. Its net sales fell by 1.2% year-on-year to Euro1.34bn from Euro1.35bn and its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 5.7% to Euro227m from Euro241m. However, its cement sales volumes grew by 3.8% to 12.9Mt from 12.5Mt. By region the cement producer reported that its net sales rose in Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and the US. Net sales fell in Luxembourg, Netherlands, Ukraine and Mexico.
Cemitaly cleared to use slag and ash at Taranto plant
03 August 2018Italy: Cemitaly has been allowed to use slag and ash in cement production at its Taranto plant following an investigation, according to the Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper. The former Cementir unit was investigated in 2017 as part of an illegal waste probe that examined whether the Taranto plant purchased ‘illegal’ by-products from Enel and the ILVA steel plant to produce cement.
Italy: Exergy has signed a contract with Cementi Rossi for a 3.5MW organic rankine cycle (ORC) waste heat recovery (WHR) system to be installed at the Pederobba plant near Treviso. The scope of the contract includes engineering, design, site erection, commissioning and start up of the power plant and a long term after sales service.
Exergy designed a customized and compact ORC solution to convert approximately 16MWt available from exhaust heat in the clinker cooler into 3.5MW of electricity utilising an air cooled condensing system, a radial outflow turbine as expander and choosing a non-flammable fluid to grant maximum safety during plant operation. The electricity produced by the ORC module will feed approximately the 30% of the energy demand of the cement plant.
“Our ORC WHR systems, leveraging on the higher efficiency of the radial outflow turbine, can help to boost at maximum level the performance of cement plants. For Cementi Rossi in particular we worked to supply a tailor made solution, choosing a non-flammable fluid in the cycle and a very compact plant design with a high level of prefabricated components to reduce costs and time for erection,” said Claudio Spadacini, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Exergy.
Cementir’s net profit rises sharply
27 July 2018Italy: Cementir Holding’s net profit rose to Euro77m in the first half of 2018, a massive 400.5% increase compared to just Euro15.5m in the first half of 2017. Revenues increased by 5.7% to Euro588.5m from Euro556.9m in the first half of 2017. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) improved by 9.5% to Euro96m from Euro87.7m in the first half of 2017. The impact of the devaluation of the main foreign currencies against the Euro on the gross operating margin had a negative effect of Euro7.9m. At constant exchange rates, EBITDA in 2017 would have amounted to Euro103.9m.
Chairman and CEO Francesco Caltagirone Jr explained that the results were up compared to the first half of 2017 also on a like-for-like basis, without the effect of the acquisition of Lehigh White Cement Company in the United States. The improvement in the gross operating margins in Turkey, Belgium and China, offset the worsening results in Egypt, Norway, Malaysia and Denmark. The results were also negatively affected the unfavourable winter weather conditions in the first quarter in Scandinavia and Belgium, as well as the earlier timing of Ramadan in Turkey and Egypt.
Italcementi to keep Arquata Scrivia plant open
24 July 2018Italy: Italcementi plans to keep the Arquata Scrivia grinding plant open. The assurance was given to union representatives following worker redundancies at the unit, according to Alessandria News. The subsidiary of Germany’s HeidelbergCement competed its purchase of the plant from Cementir Italia in January 2018. It has since been rebranded under the Cemitaly brand.
Italcementi rebrands Cementir and Sacci subsidiaries
12 July 2018Italy: HeidelbergCement’s subsidiary Italcementi has rebranded CementirSacci and Cementir Italia as Italsacci and Cemitaly respectively. The move follows the integration of the companies into the group at the start of 2018.
The cement producers operate four integrated plants and two grinding plants. Italsacci runs plants at Tavernola Bergamasca, Greve and Cagnano Amiterno. Cemitaly runs plants at Spoleto, Arquata Scrivia and Taranto.
Italcementi now operates 10 integrated plants, one plant for special projects, 10 cement grinding plants, 113 concrete plants and 13 aggregate quarries in Italy. Its headquarters is based in Bergamo.
Chryso to buy assets from Ruredil
04 July 2018France/Italy: Chryso has signed an agreement to buy certain assets of Italy’s Ruredil, including its cement additives, concrete admixtures and technical mortars business divisions, but excluding the Rurmec brand. The cost of the acquisition has not been revealed. The transaction is expected to complete over the summer of 2018 subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary conditions precedent.
“The combination of our operating businesses in Italy will provide a wider range of products to our customers, as well as improve our geographic coverage, enabling us to serve a greater number of building companies and cement and concrete manufacturers across Italy and abroad. The businesses will have strong offerings to answer the new technical challenges of the building industry,” said Thierry Bernard, president and chief executive officer of Chryso.
In Italy, Chryso operates as Chryso Italia, which was established in 1997. Its customers in the region include cement manufacturers, concrete producers and building companies. Ruredil is an Italian company, established in the 1950s. It manufactures chemicals and structural reinforcement systems, and owns well-recognised brands in the construction industry such as Ruredil and Levocell.
Wamgroup inaugurates technology centre
26 June 2018Italy: Wamgroup has inaugurated its new technology centre in Cavezzo. The centre will be used for research, training and as a showroom, according to local media. The enginering company specialises in screw conveyors as well we manufacturing equipment for bulk solids handling and processing, dust filtration, waste water treatment and renewable energy generation. It celebrates its 50th year of business in 2018 following its founding in late 1968.
Italy: MDG Handling Solutions has been awarded the UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 certification for ‘Design, engineering, production control entrusted to third parties and after-sales support of solutions for handling and storage of solid materials.’ MDG says that the new certification allows it to be a ‘top class partner’ for all cement end users.
MDG Handling Solutions is a material handling project consultancy that provides engineering and procurement (EP) services, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services and supply of equipment. It was started by Davide Gambarotta in late 2017.