September 2024
LafargeHolcim spends Euro38m on upgrades to Polish cement plants 19 December 2017
Poland: LafargeHolcim has spent Euro36m on upgrades to alternative fuels handling at its Kujawy cement plant. The investment includes preparing the kiln for the use of alternative fuels, building a new terminal, setting up a new automated laboratory and building a hall for storing and processing alternative fuels. The project is intended to adjust the plant’s kiln for processing alternative fuels and securing new alternative fuel sources. The cement producer aims to control the alternative fuels supply chain for its plant from source to kiln.
The company has also spent Euro2m on upgrades to its Małogoszcz cement plant. These included process optimisation and environmental improvements such as modernising the inlet channel to the rotary kiln cooler, renovating the furnace outlet and installing a new drive system for the mill. The stacks for two kilns were also renovated.
Inversa launches offer to consolidate control of Cementos Bío Bío 19 December 2017
Chile: Invesa has launched a public offer to increase the shares its holds in Cementos Bío Bío. The move follows its acquisition of a 13.1% share in the cement producer from Brazil’s Votorantim for around US$46m in November 2017, according to the Diario Financiero newspaper. The latest acquisition bid could see Invesa hold a 79% share of Cementos Bío Bío, combining other shares owned by other business that the Invesa family owns.
Holcim to spend US$120m on update to Malagueño cement plant 18 December 2017
Argentina: Holcim Argentina plans to spend US$120m on an update to its Malagueño cement plant in Cordoba province. The investment will increase the unit’s production capacity by 45% or 0.73Mt/yr, according to La Voz del Interior newspaper. The project includes rebuilding a clinker production line at the site, installing a new cement mill and refurbishing packaging lines.
Philippines: Cemex Philippines has received an environmental compliance certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for a proposed new production line at its cement plant operated by Solid Cement at Antipolo City, Rizal. The cement producer wants to build a new 1.5Mt/yr line at the site, according to the Philippines News Agency. Cemex and CBMI Construction signed a deal to build the line in May 2017.
Uzbek government sets production target of 9.2Mt of cement for 2018 18 December 2017
Uzbekistan: The government of Uzbekistan has set a production target of 9.2Mt of cement in 2018. Uzstroymateriali will produce 7.8Mt, Almalyk Mining and Metallurgy Combine will produce 1Mt and other companies will produce 0.4Mt, according to Uzbekistan Daily. Imports of cement have been set at 0.37Mt. The country is expected to consume over 9.5Mt in the period. Exports of white cement will be 4000t. The government has also ruled that cement producers must sell cement only through exchange auctions in 2018.
Cembureau signs joint initiative on standardisation 18 December 2017
Belgium: Cembureau, the European Cement Association, has signed the Joint Initiative for Standardisation. This initiative is an action to unify standards between the European Commission, European Union and European Free Trade Association Member States, national and European standardisation bodies and industry associations. The aim of the initiative is to work towards prioritisation, modernisation and appropriate speed for timely standards. Key areas that Cembureau will focus on include increased awareness, education and understanding about the European Standardisation System, ensuring adequate European standards exist and supporting European competitiveness in global markets.
LafargeHolcim makes changes to management structure 15 December 2017
Switzerland: LafargeHolcim has changed its management structure to make it more market focused. It has appointed Marcel Cobuz as the head of its European region and René Thibault as the head of its North American division. Two of the group’s global business functions, Performance & Cost and Growth & Innovation, will be merged into a new corporate department, Growth & Performance, under one leadership. Further changes will be made to the reporting of its regions with the addition of Mexico to its Latin America region, the addition of Australia and New Zealand to Asia and its Chinese and Trading divisions will now report directly to the group’s chief executive officer (CEO).
“Establishing a market-focused management organisation is an important step towards generating an attractive growth profile and taking the company to its next level of performance,” said CEO Jan Jenisch. “The strengthening of the profit and loss responsibility of the countries and the simplification of global business functions will create a leaner and more agile operating model. Countries will be fully empowered and accountable for market strategies, cost discipline and results. The new organisation will be complemented by a strengthened performance management system focusing on growth, cash conversion, capital efficiency and people development.”
The group’s 30 largest country organisations will directly report to the Executive Committee and the global business functions will be merged under one leadership. As a result of these changes, the Executive Committee will be reduced to nine members. All of the management changes will take effect from 1 January 2018.
Marcel Cobuz, aged 47 years, has been appointed as Head Region Europe and a member of the Executive Committee. He succeeds Roland Köhler, who has decided to retire. Cobuz, a Romanian and French citizen, joined LafargeHolcim in 2000. He has held various operational roles in six different countries and has been country chief executive officer (CEO) in Indonesia, Iraq and Morocco.
Köhler will retire at the beginning of 2018. He has worked for LafargeHolcim and its predecessors for more than 30 years and has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2010, most recently as the Head of Europe, Trading and Oceania. Köhler will continue to support LafargeHolcim as chairman of the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction. He will also continue to represent the group as a non-executive director in local subsidiaries of the company.
René Thibault, aged 51 years, was been appointed as Head Region North America and a member of the Executive Committee. He succeeds Pascal Casanova, who has decided to pursue opportunities outside of the group. Thibault, a Canadian citizen, joined LafargeHolcim in 1989 and has held various roles in France and Canada. He has been the CEO of Western Canada since 2012.
Urs Bleisch, currently Head of Performance & Cost and Member of the Executive Committee, has been appointed Head of Growth & Performance. Gérard Kuperfarb, Head of Growth & Innovation, has decided to pursue a career outside the group.
Finally, the group’s new chief financial officer (CFO), Géraldine Picaud, will take over the role on 3 January 2018, earlier than the February 2018 date that was originally announced.
Shree Cement starts kiln at Baloda Bazar plant 15 December 2017
India: Shree Cement has started up the kiln at its new 2.6Mt/yr Baloda Bazar plant near Raipur in Chhattisgarh. The unit is part of a US$900m investment plant to build three new plants with a total production capacity of 10Mt/yr.
Ota pozzolana cement plant ready for commercialisation 15 December 2017
Nigeria: Danladi Matawal, the Director-General, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NIBRRI) said the institute’s pilot pozzolana cement plant at Ota in Ogun is ready for commercialisation. He has asked cement producers and other stakeholders to invest in the project, according to an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria reported upon by the Nigerian Sun newspaper.
The pilot project has a production capacity of 2t/day and it is ready for testing on an industrial scale. The unit was commissioned in May 2017 by Ogbonnaya Onu, the Minister of Science and Technology. NIBRRI is also planning a volcanic-based Pozzolana pilot plant in Bokos, Plateau that will be commissioned in 2018.
Nigeria: Osita Anthony Aboloma, the Director General of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has blamed poor cement as a major cause of building collapses. He made the comments via a deputy at a technical committee meeting for the review of the standard for cement (NIS444-1.2014) in Lagos, according to the Nigerian Sun newspaper. The standard is being reviewed for the next five years.
Also at the meeting, Joseph Odigure, the chairman of cement standards at Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) at the University of Lagos, was appointed chairman of the technical committee. Professor Garuba Abu was appointed as its Vice Chairman.