Global Cement recently visited the N+P Subcoal® plant in Farmsum, near Groningen, the Netherlands to find out about the history of the N+P Group, the Subcoal® manufacturing process, the current markets for Subcoal® products and the company’s plans for the future. Peter Edwards spoke with Lars Jennissen, Technical Director at N+P Group...
In the May 2017 issue of Global Cement Magazine, I referred to several issues facing the cement industry in combination with recent geopolitical events. One of these issues was the increased climate change legislation and tighter environmental requirements imposed on the sector. What might the real effects of climate change legislation be?
Cement performs a vital role in the construction industry. However, as it is a manufactured material created by a complex process that involves multiple ingredients, testing is essential to ensure compliance with specification and application-specific requirements. In the following article Alfonso Rivera, Technical Department and Field Service Manager for ELE International, reviews the most important tests and provides an update on relevant standards.*
The Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) looks at how EU legislation needs to change in order for smart buildings to take hold in Europe in its new report ‘Opening the door to smart buildings.’ The report is timely, considering that EU bodies are currently in the process of recasting crucial Directives pertaining to energy efficiency in buildings.
Since the end of the Second World War, cement production has grown into a huge global industry. The Global Cement Directory 2017 details over 2200 integrated cement plants and 500+ grinding plants worldwide that can produce around 4.2Bnt/yr of cement. But growth brings challenges. There are profitable and unprofitable cement plants. Overall return on capital isn’t high and overcapacity is a major factor in certain markets. Consolidation is now well-established, with the chairman of the World Cement Association recently expressing the view that a return to profitability will require even more consolidation in the future.
