Displaying items by tag: GCW431

Cyprus: Vassiliko Cement ’s has achieved recognition for human resources (HR) programmes at its 2.5Mt/yr integrated Vassiliko plant in Nicosia, Cyprus, with a silver and a bronze at the first Cyprus Human Resources Awards. Its Talents Academy, launched in 2013 to offer six to 12 months’ paid work experience to a set minimum of unemployed young people with full staff benefits and without necessarily filling vacancies, won silver in the Best Youth Employment Initiative category. Its change of mindset programme ‘Bridge’ won bronze for Best Strategy/Initiative of Change Management for its promotion of intergenerational team spirit, communication and attainment of personal targets.

Vassiliko executive chairman Antonios Anoniou said “Continuous training coupled with the personal and professional development of our employees in the workplace is an essential prerequisite for sustainability."

Spain: HeidelbergCement’s Spanish subsidiary HeidelbergCement Hispania has presented a range cementitious materials for use in floors and pavements with a focus on sustainable production at the Spanish Innovation Forum on Architecture, Construction and Reclamation in Barcelona. Its I.Tech Cargo cement-based premix based on TX Active technology boasts lower CO2 emissions in the cement production stage, while its I-Pro Stabex premix replaces cement with natural hydraulic lime.

Russia: The government of the Republic of Turva has announced its approval of a 2Mt/yr integrated cement plant near the extensive limestone and clay reserves around Shagonar in the Republic of Turva. Local investors will undertake the development, scheduled for completion in late 2020, at an estimated cost of US$5.48m. The announcement has attracted uproar from residents of the area for the proximity of the intended site to the sacred mountain Haiyrakan, where the most significant limestone deposits are located.

Togo: Nigerian-based Dangote Cement has received government clearance for construction of a 1.5Mt/yr grinding plant in Togo, its first in the country, at a cost of US$60m. When operational, it will bring Togo’s installed capacity to 5.7Mt/yr – 1.7Mt of it grinding only – and grind clinker from Nigeria and Togo. Agence Ecofin has reported that the sum is part of a raft of investments by Dangote Group in the country totalling US$3.47m and involving infrastructure and phosphate fertiliser production projects.

Argentina: Loma Negra’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation fell to US$150m for the first nine months of 2019, down by 6.0% from US$160m in the nine months to 30 September 2019. Loma Negra CEO Sergio Faifman said that political turmoil precipitated ‘high financial and economic volatility that eroded the incipient recovery previously observed in some of the macroeconomic variables.’ Volumes of cement and concrete fell in Argentina and Paraguay. Profit for the period fell to US$32m, down from US$34m by 6.1% year-on-year.

Italy: In the nine months to 30 September 2019, Buzzi Unicem’s net sales rose by 13.4% year-on-year to Euro2.42bn from Euro2.14bn. Cement volumes rose 5.7% to 22.1Mt from 20.9Mt in the corresponding period of 2018. The company said that “Growth was continually mitigated by weakened manufacturing activity due to reduced investments and political and economic uncertainty.”

Germany: After five years’ transport planning and dispatch management, Heidelberg’s Inform software has received an update. The new version features an improved user interface and decision-making engine with upgraded algorithms to increase truck fleet productivity. HeidelbergCement’s Head of Logistics Germany Silvio Günther said “On-time delivery and flexibility are vital to our cement customers. Inform’s software allows our cement customer service centre to react quickly.”

Brazil: Itaci Cement has purchased 100 hectares of land in Tabuleiro do Norte in the north-eastern Brazilian state of Ceará. Diario do Nordeste has reported that the company has invested US$66m in a development, though whether this will take the form of a clinker grinding or integrated cement plant has not been disclosed. Companhia Siderúrgica do Pecém (CSP) will reportedly supply granulated blast furnace slag to the facility when operational for use as a feedstock.

Germany: HeidelbergCement’s sales in the first nine months of 2019 were Euro14.3bn, up by 7.0% from Euro13.4bn in the corresponding period of 2018. It reached its savings target for sales and general administration costs of Euro100m 15 months ahead of schedule and cut net debt by Euro1.1bn. Bernd Scheifele, chairman of the managing board of HeidelbergCement, said “Price increases and strict cost discipline more than compensated for slightly weaker demand in the third quarter.”

Sweden: Construction and engineering conglomerate Peab’s subsidiary Swecem has engaged German-based Gebr. Pfeiffer for the supply of one MVR 2500 C-4 grinding mill at its granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) grinding plant in Oxelösund in Södermanland. The mill has four grinding rollers and a table diameter of 2.5m, giving it a 25t/hr slag grinding capacity.

Swecem operates a concrete plant in Kungsängen. It currently uses ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) supplied by Irish-based Ecocem’s 0.7Mt/yr Dunkirk grinding plant in France.