Displaying items by tag: Aggregates

Poland: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim subsidiary Lafarge Polska has launched Aggneo, a recycled aggregate recycled from demolition-sourced concrete. The producer says that Aggneo offers high consistency and a lower density than mined aggregates, resulting in material savings. Besides reducing waste, the product also lowers the carbon footprint of delivery by 66%, according to the company. The building materials producer aims to manufacture 1Mt/yr of recycled aggregated by 2030.

US: Aggregate producer Vulcan Materials Company has agreed to buy US Concrete for US$1.29bn.The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies and is expected to close in the second half of 2021, subject to US Concrete shareholder approval, regulatory clearance and other customary closing conditions.

Tom Hill, Chairman and chief executive officer of Vulcan Materials Company, said, "US Concrete is an important Vulcan customer in a number of key areas, and this transaction is a logical and exciting step in our growth strategy as we further bolster our geographic footprint.”

US Concrete runs 27 aggregates operations serving California, Texas and the Northeast US. It shipped 12.6Mt of aggregates in 2020. Vulcan also said that the acquisition represented a ‘natural’ addition to Vulcan's business. The deal also adds US Concrete’s ready-mixed concrete operations to Vulcan's existing concrete business.

Germany: HeidelbergCement has completed a comprehensive Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC) certification campaign at its 10 cement plants, 12 concrete plants and five aggregates sites underwent the certification process. One cement plant– the Lengfurt, Bavaria, plant - and two concrete plants achieved Platinum certification. The Lengfurt cement plant is the first German cement plant to do so.

Senior manager sustainable construction and public affairs Christian Artelt said “CSC certification allows production sites to gain a holistic understanding of their sustainability performance.” He added “Our successful engagement in CSC certification highlights our commitment to sustainability.”

Greece: HeidelbergCement subsidiary Halyps Building Materials has agreed to sell its aggregates business and two ready-mix concrete plants to Heracles Group, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim. Heracles Group said that the acquisition would enable it to better serve the growing Athens metropolitan area and key infrastructure projects regionally. The value of the deal is undisclosed.

LafargeHolcim’s Europe, Middle East and Africa regional head Miljan Gutovic said, “I am excited about the opportunities and growth prospects of this acquisition in the Attica region of central Greece. It will provide additional support towards our net zero ambition with our leading range of sustainable building solutions such as EcoPact green concrete.” Heracles Group launched EcoPact on the Greek market in April 2021. In the first four months of 2021, LafargeHolcim completed four other bolt-on acquisitions.

HeidelbergCement remains active in the market through its subsidiary Halyps Cement. The company operates the 0.7Mt/yr Apropyrgos cement plant in Athens. Chief executive officer Dominik von Achten said, "We are pleased that the transaction has been successfully signed.” He added that the realignment is the next step in the group’s portfolio optimisation as part of its Beyond 2020 strategy. In January 2021, its subsidiary Suez Cement departed from the Kuwait cement market with the sale of its majority stake in Hilal Cement.

El Salvador: Holcim el Salvador, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, has invested US$4.0m in the first four months of 2021 in establishing three new 70m³/hr-capacity ready-mix concrete plants and one aggregates plant. The La Prensa Grafica newspaper has reported that the plants have increased the company’s concrete production capacity by 60%. The concrete plants are situated at Apopa, La Paz and Sonsonate, enabling the producer to serve a wide area. The new plants have generated 100 direct and indirect jobs. As part of the investment, the company acquired 22 new concrete trucks. It plans to establish two further concrete plants at Santa Ana and in eastern El Salvador in 2021.

Concrete and aggregates manager Guillermo Torres said “We intend to have national coverage for all builders of all types and sizes.” He added “We have seen a rebound in the construction sector. The main bet is always high-rise, medium and high-end housing, small-scale shopping centres with open concepts, textile industrial buildings plus government investment in roads and maintenance and extension.”

Germany: Cemex Zement, part of Mexico-based Cemex, has bought a 400t/hr floating bucket chain dredger. The company plans to use the vessel in its aggregates operations on the River Elbe around Rogätz, Saxony-Anhalt. It includes a dewatering screening machine, a fine sand recovery system and a conveyor belt that transports the processed sands and gravels ashore. The dredger replaces an older 350t/hr model which has been in action since the mid-1990s. The company said that the purchase is in line with its strategy to enhance its vertically integrated positions near growing metropolises. Elbe operations supply aggregates to produce concrete for the Berlin market.

Central Europe vice president of materials Rüdiger Kuhn said "With this important investment, our company strengthens its position in the metropolitan market of Berlin and secures the long-term availability of valuable mineral raw materials for its customers."

Switzerland: The Solar Impulse Foundation has certified 10 LafargeHolcim products with its ‘Efficient Solutions’ label. The label designates products which protect the environment in a profitable way. The following LafargeHolcim products now bear the label: 14Trees 3D concrete printing technology; Aggneo recycled aggregate; Airium insulating foam; Bio-Active Concrete for coastal ecosystem rehabilitation; Ductal ultra-lightweight concrete; Durabric earth-based block; ECOPact green concrete; TerraFlow low-carbon cement; Kawach water-repellent cement; and the ORIS digital road design platform.

Chief executive officer Jan Jenisch said “I’m very proud of our strong contribution to the Solar Impulse Foundation’s goal of finding 1000 environmentally positive solutions. With more than half of our research and development efforts focused on sustainable building solutions, we are committed to enabling a net-zero future that works for people and the planet. Today’s endorsement of our clean technologies is a great encouragement for our teams to keep on pushing the boundaries of innovation for sustainable building.”

France: Mexico-based Cemex has signed an agreement to buy assets in Paris metropolitan area. The new acquisitions consist of two aggregates quarries and a rail platform. The assets previously belonged to Ireland-based CRH subsidiary Equiom Granulats. The purchase is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2021.

Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asiaregional president Sergio Menendez said, "This acquisition will allow us to better serve our customers by integrating and complementing our portfolio to provide a comprehensive and sustainable offering, directly aimed at the rapidly growing needs of the North Paris Metropolitan Area." He added "This is a clear example of the efforts that we are doing to foster earning before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation growth by investing in key high-growth urban centres worldwide."

China: Huaxin Cement has forecast consolidated net profit growth of 104% - 111% year-on-year to US$55.7m – US$59.6m in the first quarter of 2021 from US$53.7m in the same period in 2020. The group said that cement volumes rose by 60% and concrete and aggregate volumes grew by over 200%. The cement producer has attributed the growth to the impact of coronavirus upon its business at the start of 2020.

Chile: Melón has signed an electricity supply contract with Enel Generación. The contract covers the supply for its La Calera, Puerto Montt and Ventanas cement plants, and its San Bernardo aggregates quarry, until 2043, according to the La Tercera newspaper. All energy supplied under the contract will come from renewable sources. There is also the possibility of expanding the scope of the contract.

General Manager Iván Marinado said, “Our commitment to the sustainability of our operations is permanent. We have state-of-the-art technologies, we work together with our carriers in programmes to reduce logistical impact and energy efficiency, and we have a solid co-processing strategy for the use of alternative fuels (AF) and raw materials. Today we are happy to take a new step and start the use of renewable energies, as a concrete and effective example of our concern to contribute to the environmental improvement of the localities where we operate.”