Displaying items by tag: LafargeHolcim

France: LafargeHolcim France, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, plans to invest Euro6.2m in 2021 in upgrading its integrated La Malle cement plant in Bouc-Bel-Air, Bouches-du-Rhône department. The La Provence newspaper has reported that the plans include a Euro4.5m modernisation of the flue gas desulphurisation system of the plant’s Line 2 using equipment ordered from Italy-based Boldrocchi. The company said that it plans to maintain similar investment levels in the plant in 2022 and 2023.

The plant had reportedly received complaints about sulphurous smells in the local area. The producer attributed this to the high sulphur content in its clay, which is sometimes over 70%. It said that it is altering supply arrangement to include clay from its L'Estaque, Bouc-Bel-Air and Bellegarde, Ain quarries in its clinker mix in order to reduce sulphur content by 20%.

France: A fire has been reported at LafargeHolcim France’s integrated Saint-Pierre-la-Cour plant. It appears to have been caused by a fuel supply line explosion attached to the plant’s kiln, according to the Ouest France newspaper. No casualties have been reported by local fire fighters. The single kiln 1.5Mt/yr plant is the company’s largest in the country.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, has announced the launch of its new Holcim Aqua X concrete. The product contains ‘active water-repellent boosters’ giving it increased resistance to water damage.

The BusinessWorld newspaper has reported that president and chief executive officer Horia-Ciprian Adrian said that Aqua X ‘highlights our great advantage in developing exciting products.’ He added that the product outperforms other concretes on environmental indicators due to its low clinker factor.

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.”

Switzerland: Oscar Fanjul has decided to step down as the vice-chairman of LafargeHolcim. The group said that in line with the its commitment to continuity of leadership, the board of directors has proposed the appointment of chief executive officer (CEO) Jan Jenisch as a member of the board of directors in addition to his CEO role.

Fanjul was elected to the board of directors of LafargeHolcim in 2015. He began his career working for the industrial holding INI in Spain and later became the chairman founder and CEO of Repsol. He has been chairman of Hidroeléctrica del Cantábrico and of Deoleo. He has also been a board member of the London Stock Exchange, Unilever, Areva, and BBVA. He holds a PhD in Economics.

Poland: Italy-based Bedeschi has won a contract with China-based Nanjing Kisen International Engineering, part of China National Building Materials, to carry out equipment supply for the modernisation of crushing and storage facilities at a Lafarge Polska cement plant in Poland. The supplier says that it will provide a crushing system featuring two RI 450/15000 double rollers and two Pal SP 130/18 portal reclaimers for raw materials storage.

US: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has approved a request by Holcim US to use more petcoke at its integrated Midlothian plant. Local health and environmental campaigners had hoped to challenge the decision at a meeting in late March 2021, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper. The changes will enable the company, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, to more than double the plant’s carbon monoxide (CO) emissions to 7000t/yr. 35 local residents submitted requests for a hearing to query the application. Holcim US was identified from state data as the leading emitter of industrial pollutants in North Texas in 2019.

Morocco: LafargeHolcim Morocco has appointed Saâd Dalil as its cement sales and marketing director. He succeeds Boubker Bouchentouf, who is retiring after over 25 years with the group.

Dalil, aged 45 years, has worked for LafargeHolcim Morocco for over 14 years, most recently as its director of concrete. He originally trained in agricultural economics and holds an executive master of business administration (MBA) from the École des Ponts Business School.

Morocco: LafargeHolcim Morocco plans to open its new 1.6Mt/yr plant in Souss-Massa region in July 2021. The project has a budget of around US$330m. The unit is located 45km southwest of Agadir. As part of the group’s ‘plant of tomorrow’ concept it is intended to use automation technologies, robotics, artificial intelligence and predictive maintenance to improve its production efficiency. The plant is also planning to use wind power and alternative fuels. The company has also built new roads to support the plant as well as installations to establish a local drinking water network for neighbouring villages.

Azerbaijan: Holcim Azerbaijan, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, has launched its participation in the Azerbaijan Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources’ National Green Marathon with the planting of 1000 trees at its Garadagh cement plant. Turan Information Agency News has reported that the initiative aims to plant 1 million trees nationally in 2021.

Technical director Ali Huseynov said, "We have a common goal and value - sustainable development. We should apply principles of sustainability in each work and in every step. We are ready to demonstrate our best practices in environmental protection.” He added, “Our work is not over. We should also care for these trees and install an irrigation system. For this purpose, the work necessary for treatment and use of the wastewater in the irrigation system has started, and with this we can save clean water, contributing to the environmental protection."