Displaying items by tag: Portugal

Portugal: CBMI has signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract with SECIL Cement Group for the renovation of the 1800t/day clinker line at the Maceira plant.

The project includes the installation of a new firing system and a series of upgrades to improve energy and heat efficiency. The upgrade encompasses five decarbonisation measures, including a 100% alternative fuel design rate, with the aim to decrease CO₂ emissions by 30% compared to 2019 levels. This would reportedly reduce CO₂ emissions to 550kg/t of clinker.

Portugal: Cimpor plans to invest €1.4bn in its Portuguese cement assets by 2030, focusing on infrastructure, technology and new products to address decarbonisation, described as the ‘number one challenge’ by CEO Cevat Mert, according to Noticias Financieras news.

In October 2024, Cimpor announced an investment of €360m in decarbonisation and innovation projects by 2026, including €180m allocated to its Alhandra plant in Lisbon. The company also aims to expand into more markets beyond the 14 it currently serves. It has invested €50m in a terminal at the port of Bristol in the UK, and has plans for France and the US. Ignacio Gomez, Cimpor’s commercial manager, cited this shift towards Europe and the US due to stricter environmental requirements.

Portugal: Cimpor recently celebrated the 50^th anniversary of its Souselas plant, which has been operational since November 1974. The plant was initially launched with a production capacity of 500,000t/yr of clinker, but has since adapted to meet market demand.

Throughout its five decades of operation, the Souselas plant has produced over 69Mt of clinker and processed approximately 667,000t of alternative fuels. Current projects include the rehabilitation of Line 2 for producing calcined clays, installing photovoltaic plants and focusing on co-processing and heat recovery initiatives, with the aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The anniversary event showcased recent projects, such as the installation of a 1MW photovoltaic plant and the planned introduction of a 10MW plant by 2025. Additionally, a 7.4MW waste heat recovery system will commence operation in February 2025 and a 10MW hydrogen plant is scheduled for 2026.

Portugal: Cimpor has presented its decarbonisation plan during a visit from the Portuguese Minister of Economy, Pedro Reis, to its Alhandra cement plant. The plan involves a €360m investment across Cimpor’s Alhandra, Souselas and Loulé plants to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Current projects at the Alhandra plant include a €110m investment in alternative fuels and two €35m investments in a replacement mill and new clinker cooler. The company estimates a CO₂ emissions reduction of 190,000t/yr and a 16GWh energy saving. Similar initiatives are underway at the Souselas plant, such as the conversion of a kiln to produce calcined clays, which could reportedly cut 70,000t/yr of CO₂.

Cevat Mert, CEO of Cimpor for Portugal and Cape Verde, said “We are committed to investing in Portugal for the environment, sustainability and technology, and our projects are going at full speed. I would like to emphasise that the government´s infrastructure investments, support and incentives, particularly for the environment and sustainability, need to gain further momentum, and we trust in the minister’s support on prioritising this matter. I am confident that together we will continue to build a cement sector that Portugal can be proud of.”

Portugal: Cimpor has signed a 10-year extendable contract with Vodafone Portugal for private ‘pure’ 5G network installations at its plants, starting with the Alhandra plant and soon expanding to Souselas and Loulé. This network will aim to improve data management and operational efficiencies across Cimpor's cement business and eventual expansion to other sectors. Technology partners include Germany-based SAP and Sweden-based Ericsson.

Cimpor's chief technology officer Berkan Fidan said that the company felt the need to make this investment because the cement industry is data-intensive, and the collection of available data is a challenge due to the physical and operational conditions at the plants.

This partnership makes it possible to obtain precise quality reviews of the cement manufactured at the plants without having to wait 28 days. It also gives total visibility of the plant, making emission forecasts and maintenance easier. The deal involves around 10,000 sensors in 19 plants globally, 50 antennas, drones to measure stock levels and thermal cameras with real-time monitoring capabilities. The long-term strategy with Vodafone also involves the use of smart glasses with video streaming functionalities inside the plants. Fidan explained that the plants have some connectivity challenges, which is why the company is investing heavily in the mobile network.

Portugal: Cimpor has published new standard procedures for the prevention of intoxicants use at its sites. Cimpor will conduct toxological screening of employees and third-party contractors to ensure a blood alcohol level of 0.0, as well as testing for narcotics and other psychotropic substances. The new protocol aims to protect the safety of everyone at Cimpor sites and host communities. The company says that it will support the screening regimen by implementing additional education and training.

Portugal: Sacopor has inaugurated a new bag production line at its paper bag plant near Lisbon. The new line will increase capacity to 160 million bags per year from 130 million at present. It had an investment of €11.5m. The subsidiary of Cimpor sells bags to the cement mortar industries.

Portugal: Workers from Cimpor, along with those from its subsidiaries Ciarga Argamassas, Serviços and Sacopor, will participate in a three-day strike from 16 – 19 April 2024. The Portuguese Federation of Construction, Ceramics and Glass Trade Unions (FEVICCOM) announced that strike rallies are scheduled for 8am daily near the entrances to cement plants in Souselas, Alhandra and Loulé.

The workers are demanding an 8% salary increase in 2024, with a minimum of €200, a 37-hour work week starting 1 January 2025, annual bonuses, shift work compensation and public holidays in continuous work regimes. Cimpor management previously raised salaries by 4.5% at the start of 2024. This is above the inflation rate in Portugal and twice the increase seen by the civil service. Cimpor added that it had previously increased salaries above the rate of inflation in previous years.

Portugal: Taiwan Cement Corporation has purchased the remaining 60% stake of Cimpor Portugal from the Turkish group OYAK, giving it 100% ownership of the company. This acquisition, valued at €480m, also includes taking over a majority stake in Türkiye, making Taiwan Cement Corporation the ‘third largest player’ in the global cement market, according to the company. The deal strengthens the group’s presence in Portugal, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana, aligning with its global expansion and sustainability-focused investments in renewable energy and technology.

Cimpor's chairman Suat Çalbiyik said "This operation represents a very important step in the company's growth and makes it a world reference in cement production."

Portugal: Taiwan Cement (Dutch) Holdings paid €65m to acquire its new stake in Cimpor, Reuters has reported. Parent company Taiwan Cement Corporation agreed to buy current majority shareholder OYAK Çimento’s 60% stake in Cimpor for €480m in November 2023.