Displaying items by tag: Europe

UK: Cemex has announced the construction of a mortar plant in Swindon, Wiltshire as part of its strategy to supply more alternative and sustainable materials to growing urban centres. The Mexico-based group said the plant will begin operations in the second half of 2025.

The new plant will produce Cemex's Vertua low-carbon mortars, with a CO2 footprint at least 30% lower than that of standard mortars. It will also feature a drying system designed to minimise heat consumption and significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption throughout the production process.

"As part of our growth strategy, we make strategic acquisitions and build new plants in advanced markets," said Fernando A Gonzalez, Cemex's CEO. "This strategically-located plant will enhance our production capacity in the country, advance our decarbonisation goals and allow us to offer a better experience to our customers in the region."

Finland: Tana Oy has appointed Jari Mennala as its CEO with effect from 5 May 2025. He succeeds Kalle Saarimaa who became the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of NG Group in February 2025.

Mennala was appointed as the Director of Worldwide Forestry Sales & Marketing and Managing Director of John Deere Forestry Oy in 2024. He has worked for John Deere since 2008 for its forestry division in Finland, the US and the UK. He holds a master’s degree in industrial management from Tampere University of Technology and an executive master’s of business administration from Aalto University in Helsinki.

Spain: Cement consumption rose by 9% year-in-year in February 2025 to 1.27Mt, around 100,000t more than in February 2024, according to the latest statistics from Oficemen. Consumption for the first two months of 2025 reached 2.40Mt, up by 9%. In the 12 months to February 2025, total consumption rose by 4% to 15.1Mt.

“Although it is still early to make assessments, it is significant to note that last month was the February with the highest cement consumption since 2011, which confirms a certain continuity in the positive trend we experienced at the end of 2024 and which we expected to continue in 2025. Furthermore, our data is in line with other relevant indicators in the construction sector, whose performance is also positive, such as public tenders, which grew by 33.5% in January, and permits for new housing, which ultimately closed 2024 with 127,721 approved units,” said Oficemen general director Aniceto Zaragoza.

Exports fell by 15% to 0.3Mt in February 2025, a loss of 55,600t. In the 12 months to February 2025, exports fell by 5% to 4.80Mt.

UK: Aggregate Industries has rebranded as Holcim UK. The company operates over 200 sites across the UK with 4000 employees. Following 20 years as a UK-based subsidiary of Holcim Group, the new direction sees the business align more closely with its Swiss-based parent company, which operates across 70 countries and employs over 60,000 people worldwide.

Holcim UK CEO Lee Sleight said “Our evolution from Aggregate Industries to Holcim UK is much more than a rebrand. It represents a commitment to leading the sector towards a more sustainable future through a commitment to innovation and collaboration.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Heidelberg Materials Cement BiH recorded a net profit of US$28.2m in 2024, up by 37% year-on-year. Total sales rose by 25% to US$99.9m. Domestic sales revenue increased by 30% to US$62.7m, while foreign market sales rose by 36% to US$4.5m, the company said in its annual report.

Poland: Cemex has signed an agreement with EDP Energia Poland to build solar installations at several of its sites, with a total capacity of over 14MW. The investment is part of its ‘Future in Action’ strategy to combat climate change.

New solar plants will be installed at Cemex's cement plants in Chełm, Rudniki, and Gdynia, as well as its ready-mix concrete plants in Mysłowice, Warsaw Annopol, Lublin, Szczecin, and Gdańsk. The concrete plant installations will begin operating in the second quarter of 2025, while the installations at the cement plants are scheduled to start generating power in the first quarter of 2026. EDP Energia Polska will install and manage the solar installations under a 15-year agreement, supplying renewable energy to Cemex facilities.

UK: Cimpor is expanding into the UK following a change in ownership in 2024 and new capital investment. Cimpor registered Cimpor UK Limited in April 2024 with an office in Cheadle and has invested €20-25m in a terminal at the port of Bristol. It plans to expand its product range in the UK in the coming years.

Cimpor Global chief technology officer Berkan Fidan said “With the ports and terminals we own and operate, we leverage our export globally, strengthening our supply chain and continuing to explore new market opportunities.”

UK: Union officials have raised concerns over 41 job losses at Tarmac’s Dunbar cement plant in East Lothian, which represents about a third of its workforce. The plant has been described as ‘critically important to the Scottish economy,’ according to The Scotsman newspaper. Trade union GMB Scotland has called on the Scottish government to intervene, warning that the cuts would harm local communities and Scotland’s manufacturing base. The 0.7Mt/yr plant has reportedly entered talks with workers over the potential job cuts, but questioned have been raised over whether production levels can be maintained after job losses.

GMB Scotland organiser Stephen McGhee said “This may be the first step in deindustrialising the site with work, skills and taxes going elsewhere. With the widespread use of concrete, this would be another blow to Scotland’s manufacturing base and workforce.”

France: Heidelberg Materials has ordered an MVR 5000 C-4 vertical roller mill from Gebr. Pfeiffer for its Airvault plant to grind ultra-fine Portland cement. The mill will be equipped with an SLS 4500 VC classifier to produce 145t/hr of Portland cement at a fineness of 4500cm²/g. The design allows for high-efficiency grinding and lower CO₂ emissions by reducing clinker content in blended cements. The contract is managed by China-based contractor CBMI. Commissioning is expected in the first half of 2026.

Austria: Alpacem Group has appointed Roland Waldenhofer as Head of Development, Quality Assurance and Application Technology of Alpacem Zement Austria. He succeeds Christoph Stotter in the post, who has been working for the group as Quality and Product Innovation Manager since 2024.

Waldenhofer, aged 30 years, trained as a civil engineer at Graz University of Technology. He previously worked for Rohrdorfer as Head of the Sand & Gravel Laboratory and
Head of the Central Laboratory & Technology Projects.