Displaying items by tag: Germany

Sweden: Germany-based HeidelbergCement subsidiary Cementa plans to upgrade its Slite unit in Gotland to become the world’s first carbon-neutral cement plant. This will be achieved through modification of the plant’s fuel system to ‘significantly raise’ biobased fuel substitution, as well as 100% carbon capture and storage (CCS) via a 1.8Mt/yr CCS installation. Full-scale capturing of the plant’s CO₂ emissions is scheduled by 2030.

Chair Dominik von Achten said, “HeidelbergCement will be the leader in the global cement industry on its transformation path towards climate neutrality. The key for decarbonising our industry is to find, apply and scale technical solutions for carbon capture and utilisation or storage (CCU/S). After having gained valuable experience with CCU/S technologies in Norway and other countries, we are now excited to make the next step with a completely carbon-neutral cement plant in Sweden.”

US: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed an administrative complaint and authorised a legal suit against Lehigh Cement’s acquisition of Keystone Cement. The HeidelbergCement subsidiary acquired the subsidiary of Mexico-based Elementia in September 2019. The commission said that the acquisition may be harmful to competition in the grey cement market in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as it reduces the number of competitors to three from four and enlarges the largest. It added that Keystone Cement’s aggressive pricing had previously caused Lehigh Cement to lower its prices.

The case will go to trial at administrative court in November 2021.

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.”

Germany/Sweden: Sweden-based BillerudKorsnäs and Germany-based Haver & Boecker have decided to continue jointly developing further standards for sack packaging following positive feedback in 2020. The sack packaging norms include recommendations for the development and use of packaging solutions and processes and define basic standard know-how or standard procedures. They are intended to provide orientation for regular questions that manufacturers of bulk materials face.

"Together BillerudKorsnäs and Haver & Boecker now offer a set of recommendations to minimise problems and maximise performance in the packaging chain. If manufacturers and users of paper sack packaging follow the recommendations and guidelines and implement usage of these norms in their supply chain, efficient and effective packaging production, filling, handling, storage and transport of the end products will be ensured," says Mikael Peterson, Technical Service Director at BillerudKorsnäs.

BillerudKorsnäs has contributed experience in packaging paper production as well as analytical tests, design and developments at the BillerudKorsnäs Packaging Development Centre. Haver & Boecker has contributed its experience in filling technology and handling of powdered bulk materials.

Burkina Faso: Germany-based Gebr Pfeiffer is supplying a MVR 6000 C-6 type vertical roller mill for Cim Metal Group’s upgrade to its Cimasso cement grinding plant in Bobo Dioulasso. The mill, with an installed gear power of 6800kW, will be used on the plant’s second production line. The vertical mill can be used for different cement types between 4000cm²/g and 5000cm²/g according to Blaine and produces more than 400t/hr with its six active grinding rollers. The mill will be equipped with a SLS VC type classifier. The order also includes the delivery of a replacement gearbox. The upgrade project is being managed by Germany-based Intercem Engineering with Gebr Pfeiffer supplying the mill and the process design. The supplier says that this will be the first MVR mill to be installed in the country.

Ghana: Dzata Cement, a 1.2Mt/yr bagging plant based in Tema, plans to start commercial production by June 2021. The unit cost US$100m and includes a two line bagging and packaging equipment supplied by Germany-based Haver & Boecker, according to the Ghana News Agency. It will use imported cement. Proposed later phases at the site will see an upgrade in bagging operations to 2.4Mt/yr and the eventual installation of two 3Mt/yr vertical roller mills. As a safeguard against surges of cement imports the government has also introduced new export and import legislation requiring licenses for imports from outside the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.

The plant’s founder Ibrahim Mahama is the brother of former Ghanian president John Dramani Mahama. In November 2020 the Ghana News Agency reported that Kofi Amoabeng, the former chief executive officer of UT Bank, said that loans made to companies including Dzata Cement had contributed to the bank being declared insolvent in 2017.

Germany: HeidelbergCement has launched the Quarry Life Award, a competition for proposed biodiversity-supporting quarry restoration projects. The company says that it is looking for projects which consider quarries’ impacts throughout their entire lifecycle. It is offering a Euro30,000 prize for the winning proposal.

Chief executive officer Dominik von Achten said, “The time for action is now - The World Economic Forum 2021 Global Risk Report has put biodiversity loss among the five most concerning global risks, both in terms of likelihood and impact. With the competition, HeidelbergCement wants to contribute to the global restoration agenda and work towards a net positive in biodiversity. Our sites can provide valuable habitats for a variety of animal and plant species during and after extraction.”

Lithuania: Germany-based Schwenk Zement has sought to increase its stake in 50% subsidiary Akmenes Cement to 97%. The company is also seeking the acquisition of a 75% stake in limestone supplier Kalcitas. The producer took over Mexico-based Cemex’s stake in Akmenes Cement in 2019.

Germany: ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions has launched GooVi, a digitised vibrating screen with an ‘intelligent’ control system. The supplier says that the screen offers increased efficiency, reduced weight and height. It combines the control system with a new patented drive technology. The product’s name plays on the title of the Beach Boys’ 1967 hit song Good Vibrations.

Head of product line screens and feeders Achim Schönfelder said, “With the GooVi, all vibration modes (circular, linear and elliptical) can be realised in one machine, allowing flexible adaptation to changing job requirements and material properties. In addition, the low height of the GooVi facilitates simple installation in existing plants.”

Germany: HeidelbergCement’s consolidated net sales rose by 1% year-on-year to Euro3.96bn in the first quarter of 2021. Its result from current operations before depreciation and amortisation (RCOBD) rose by 33% to Euro538m from Euro405m in the same period in 2020. Group cement and clinker sales volumes rose by 2% to 28.4Mt from 27.7Mt. Cement volumes rose by 11% in Western and Southern Europe to 6.8Mt from 6.1Mt, by 5% in Asia-Pacific to 8.8Mt from 8.4Mt and by 1% in Africa-Eastern Mediterranean Basin to 5.2Mt. Volumes fell by 5% in North America and by 4% in Northern and Eastern Europe-Central Asia to 3.1Mt and 4.4Mt respectively.

Dominik von Achten said, “HeidelbergCement has made an excellent start to 2021. In all group areas, we have once again been able to significantly increase our results and margins compared with an already strong first quarter in 2020. This is a seamless continuation of our very good development in recent quarters.”