Displaying items by tag: certification

Spain: LafargeHolcim Spain has obtained the International Standards organisation (ISO) UNE-EN ISO 9001:2015 certification for its cement plants. It says it is the first cement company to do so in the country one year ahead of an adaption period granted by the ISO. The standard provides a quality management system for companies and organisations to ensure that their products and services comply with external standards.

The subsidiary of LafargeHolcim’s Central Quality Laboratory has also revalidated its ISO 17025 status with the Entidad Nacional de Acreditación (ENAC), the national body that applies European accrediation standards.

US: Two CalPortland cement plants have earned the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star certification for 2017. The Rillito plant in Arizona has achieved certification for the sixth time and the Oro Grande plant in California has earned its first certification since recently being acquired by CalPortland in 2015.

“CalPortland is proud to accept EPA’s Energy Star certification in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,” said Allen Hamblen, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of CalPortland. “CalPortland takes great pride in our partnership with Energy Star which is proven through the dedication of our employees who are proud to participate in programs that improve our energy efficiency, reduce emissions and contribute to protecting our environment.”

UK: Vortex’s Loading Solutions product line has gained Zone 20 (internal) and Zone 21 (external) ATEX certification in the European Union (EU). The certification allows Vortex to broaden its international reach and enter an established European market for loading spouts, chutes and bellows as ATEX certification is required for equipment sold through the EU. The UK’s SGS Baseefa assisted Vortex in gaining certification over a year-long process.

Vortex Loading Solutions are designed to capture fugitive dust, prevent material waste, ensure plant and environmental safety, and minimise maintenance and service expenses for bulk solids applications.

US: Four Cemex USA cement plants have achieved the US Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star certification for 2017. The Clinchfield plant in Georgia has achieved certification for the 11th consecutive year, the Miami plant in Florida for the 7th consecutive year, the Victorville plant in California for the 6th consecutive year and the Brooksville plant in Florida for the 5th time.

"These plants follow initiatives each day to ensure they operate with sustainability in mind and lead the way in our industry. They serve as models for others to follow with their repeated recognition for their efforts. We are very proud of the work they've done to achieve Energy Star certification this year by maintaining these high standards," said Hugo Bolio, Executive Vice President, Cement Operations and Technology for Cemex USA.

US: Two Cemex USA terminals in California have achieved the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star Challenge for Industry status by reducing their energy consumption by more than 10% each. The San Diego terminal achieved a 12.2% reduction in 2016, compared to the prior year. The La Mirada terminal achieved a 23.2% reduction year-on-year. The Energy Star Challenge for Industry is a national call-to-action to improve energy efficiency by 10% within five years.

The La Mirada and San Diego terminals reduced their energy consumption by completing projects and executing strategies to improve their onsite energy intensity. Workers were educated on energy-management practices and procedures for the proper operation of plant equipment. Out-dated light bulbs at the terminals were replaced with more energy-efficient LED lighting. The process of enhancing lighting at the terminals continues in 2017, and workers at the terminals are focused on looking for more ways to save energy in the future. Cemex also plans to roll out programme to all of its logistics operations.

Nepal: Jagdamba Cement said that it has rebranded its Jagdamba Ultra Premium OPC Cement product with new packaging and appointed Bhusal Dahal as its brand ambassador. The cement producer added in a statement that its products can now compete with any international product available in Nepal, according to the República newspaper. It added that it has received NS 49, ISO 9001:2008, ISO 9001:2015/ISO 14001:2015 certifications as well as letter of appreciation 2014 and 2015 in NS Quality Awards.

UAE: Gulf Cement has received certification from the American Petroleum Institute to produce oil well cement. Its sales revenue fell by 8% year-on-year to US$153m in 2016 from US$167m in 2015 and its profit fell by 30% to US$13.6m from US$19.4m, according to Mubasher. The cement producer operates a plant in Ras Al Khaimah.

Lithuania: Mandatory cement certification in Russia has forced Akmenės Cementas and other cement producers based in the European Union (EU) to send their exports elsewhere. The Lithuanian cement producer has compensated for this by moving its sales in other markets, according to the Verslo Zinios newspaper. Akmenes Cementas’s sales fell by 8% year-on-year to Euro51m in 2016 from Euro55.4m in 2015.

Around 60% of its sales revenue came from local sales in Lithuania, 20% from sales in other Baltic countries and Belarus and 20% from Scandinavian countries. Previously, exports to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad accounted for 30% of the company’s revenue. The company expects to generate sales of Euro54m in 2017 based on existing contracts.

US: Titan America's Pennsuco plant, which includes cement manufacturing, aggregates, quarrying, block manufacturing and ready-mix concrete operations, has been officially recognised as a Gold Level Zero Waste facility, making it the only facility of its kind in the US to achieve Zero Waste Status.

"The Zero Waste Certification is a remarkable accomplishment and consistent with Titan America's commitment to striving for best-in-class sustainability practices. Congratulations to our Environmental Department and thanks to everyone at Pennsuco for their help and support. We should all feel very proud of this," said Randy Dunlap, president of Titan America's Florida business.

To qualify for Zero Waste Certification, the Pennsuco Complex was required to demonstrate greater than 90% diversion from landfill use for a minimum of 12 consecutive months. This includes reducing, reusing, recycling or composting discarded materials or recovering the materials for productive use in nature of the economy at biological temperatures and pressures. It requires implementing sustainable strategies for resource and waste management. The process for certification process also included an extensive on-site audit, which was performed by Zero Waste Council members.

Zero Waste recertification occurs every three years. The Pennsuco site is now aiming for Platinum Certification. Titan's Pennsuco Plant has also been recognised for other sustainability initiatives, including Wildlife Habitat Certification and EnergyStar Certification. Titan's two cement plants at Pennsuco and Roanoke have been EnergyStar certified for 10 consecutive years.

Russia: The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has issued warnings to companies certifying cement products that certification has been mandatory since March 2016. The competition body reported that the decision by Cemiscon and SibNIIcement to refuse some applications for certification without adequate grounds could restrict competition in the cement market. The FAS has since warned the companies that their actions broke the law.