
Displaying items by tag: LafargeHolcim
Mexico: Nearly 500 cement and concrete plants in the northern Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Sonora have partly or fully suspended production due to an on-going regional shortage of natural gas. The El Financiero newspaper reports that plants run by Grupo Cementos Chihuahua (GCC), Cemex, Holcim and Cruz Azul operate in this region.
GCC said that a lack of electricity and natural gas had affected production at three of its plants in Chihuahua, Samalayuca and Juárez. Mexican Association of the Ready-mix Concrete Industry (AMIC) president Ana Laura Burciaga said that the situation has caused a 50% drop in the cement supply to concrete plants.
The cause of the shortage is reported to be the suspension of natural gas exports from Texas, US. Mexican steel and automotive manufacturers have also been affected.
Beumer secures contract for Lafarge Zement’s Mannersdorf cement plant conveying system
23 February 2021Austria: Lafarge Zement has ordered a new conveying system for raw materials and alternative fuel (AF) for its Mannersdorf cement plant from Germany-based Beumer Group. The system consists of two pipe conveyors. The first will be 192m long with a capacity of 22t/hr. While the second will be 87m long and have a conveying capacity of 10t/hr. The lifting heights will be approximately 39m and the maximum angle of inclination will be 15 degrees. The order also includes three buffer bins and a weigh feeder.
The system replaces the cement plant’s pre-existing conveyors, which were seriously damaged in a fire in June 2020. Beumer will be responsible for delivery, installation, engineering and commissioning of the new conveyors. Commissioning is scheduled for mid-April 2021.
ACC and Ambuja Cements renew master supply agreement
19 February 2021India: ACC’s audit committee and board of directors have approved the renewal of the company’s master supply agreement with Ambuja Cements from 2 May 2021 to 2 May 2024. The agreement will continue on its current terms.
Loesche to supply Lafarge Zement’s Mannersdorf cement plant with new raw materials grinding plant
18 February 2021Austria: Germany-based Loesche has received an order to supply a new raw materials grinding plant to LafargeHolcim subsidiary Lafarge Zement’s Mannersdorf cement plant. The plant will consist of a type LM 45.4 mill, a LSKS type classifier, a rotary feeder, a magnetic separator, a conveyor, a pair of Hurriclons, a mill fan and the ‘Digital Ready 4.0!’ digital package. Loseche’s subsidiaries Kingsblue and AixProcess are responsible for the digital products and A-Tec for the Hurriclons. Commissioning is scheduled by the end of February 2022.
Cement and ore head of sales Stefan Baaken said, "Many cement plants in Europe are facing similar challenges to our customer in Mannersdorf. For us as an original equipment manufacturer and also for the customer, the new grinding plant is an important signpost towards more energy-efficient and sustainable cement production.”
ACC grows earnings in 2020 despite coronavirus
17 February 2021India: ACC’s net sales fell by 12% year-on-year to US$1.85bn in 2020 from US$2.11bn in 2019. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) dropped by 3% to US$341m from US$332m. Cement sales volumes decreased by 12% to 25.5Mt and ready-mixed concrete sales volumes by 36% to 2.3Mm3. The subsidiary of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim said that its cost efficiency program and working capital optimisation helped it to grow earnings and profits in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic.
CIMENCAM to accept mobile phone platform payments
17 February 2021Cameroon: Cimenteries du Cameroun (CIMENCAM) has signed an agreement with YUP Cameroon to accept online payments via YUP’s mobile phone-based banking system. Orders can be made via on CIMENCAM’s online portal. YUP allows its customers to access financial services without a bank account. The system started in Ivory Coast and Senegal in 2017 and is now present in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Ghana and Madagascar.
ACC launches ECOPact concrete in India
16 February 2021India: LafargeHolcim subsidiary ACC has launched its ECOPact range of reduced-CO2 concrete products in Hyderabad and Mumbai. A full nationwide rollout will follow in February and March 2021.
Managing director Sridhar Balakrishnan said, "The innovative manufacturing process of the ECOPact range reduces CO2 emissions by up to 100% and further enhances our sustainable products offerings for the construction industry.”
Staff changes at LafargeHolcim Russia and Holcim Azerbaijan
10 February 2021Azerbaijan/Russia: Holcim Azerbaijan has appointed Khalid Samaka as its chief executive officer (CEO). Previously he worked as the technical director at LafargeHolcim Russia since 2017.
Samaka has been succeeded as technical director at LafargeHolcim Russia by Artur Buzyurov. Previously he was in charge of cement plants in Kolomna and Voskresensk. He has worked for the company since 2001.
LafargeHolcim and Schlumberger New Energy to study carbon capture and storage studies at two cement plants
10 February 2021Europe/North America: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim and US-based Schlumberger plan to study the feasibility of carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems at two cement plants in Europe and North America. The companies say that the partnership is intended to as a precursor towards the deployment of large-scale CCS solutions.
LafargeHolcim’s chief sustainability officer Magali Anderson said, “Today’s announcement is further proof of LafargeHolcim’s environmental leadership and commitment to pioneer new solutions to reduce carbon emissions on our journey to become a net zero company. Our partnership with Schlumberger, the world’s leading provider of technology to the global energy industry, will bring new advances in storage that could be replicated at scale across our sites.”
Holcim Argentina presents voluntary retirement plan to workers at Yocsina grinding plant
10 February 2021Argentina: LafargeHolcim subsidiary Holcim Argentina has presented a voluntary retirement plan to all 50 workers at its Yocsina grinding plant in Cordoba. The La Voz del Interior newspaper has reported that the company is stopping production at the site and has invested US$120m in its integrated Malagueño cement plant in order to consolidate production there. Construction of the Yocsina plant originally started in 1959.
The company said, “At Holcim Argentina we are convinced of the potential of the Argentine market, and - as we have been doing for more than 90 years - we will continue to bet on the development of our country, both in private works and in public infrastructure."