Displaying items by tag: Limestone

Finland: UK-based minerals group SigmaRoc has acquired Nordkalk for Euro500m. The group says that Nordkalk, SigmaRoc’s sixth platform, adds a core limestone business from more than 30 locations across 10 European countries. Circular economy products comprise 13% of Nordkalk’s sales volumes. It currently makes careful use of by-products and SigmaRoc says it has a clear ambition towards fossil-free and carbon neutral operations in the future.

SigmaRoc Chair David Barrett said “Nordkalk is a well-established and well-respected business with a substantial asset footprint spanning Northern Europe. It has a long history of success and much future potential. This acquisition creates a raft of new opportunities for SigmaRoc to capitalise on in the months and years ahead.”

Chief executive officer Max Vermorken said “The acquisition of Nordkalk, Northern Europe’s leading limestone products company, is a great stepping stone in the evolution of our group, expanding our footprint across Northern European markets. We are purchasing a high-quality business at the right point in the cycle and at an attractive valuation. Nordkalk meets all our stringent investment criteria as a self-contained and asset-backed business which will bring the Group significant earnings growth. We look forward to helping Nordkalk and its experienced management team on its path to continued success as we perpetuate its 120-year history, name and success.”

Sweden: Cementa says that the decision by the Supreme Land and Environmental Court to reject its renewal application to continue mining limestone at its quarries in Gotland will create a ‘crisis’ for consumers in the autumn of 2021. The quarries supply its integrated Slite cement plant. The producer said that the ‘majority’ of Swedish cement production could cease in November 2021 following the expiry of the current licence in October 2021.

“We are seriously concerned but also surprised by the court's ruling today,” said Magnus Ohlsson, the chief executive officer of Cementa. “Limestone has been mined in Slite for over 100 years, which has built up a huge knowledge bank about how the business affects the surrounding environment. Our application is solid and clearly shows that it is possible to conduct a continued sustainable limestone mining in the area. We must go through the decision carefully and then set up the strategy for how we will handle the situation,” He added, “For Sweden, our customers and for us and our employees, it is important that political decision-makers and authorities quickly draw up new guidelines for how the supply of critical building materials such as cement and concrete should work.”

The subsidiary of Germany-based HeidebergCement originally received clearance in 2020 to renew its mining operations at the site until 2041. However, this was subsequently challenged. The current decision by the Supreme Land and Environmental Court was reached as they said they had insufficient evidence to assess the environmental impact of the application.

Uruguay: The Administación Nacional de Combustibles, Alcohol y Portland (ANCAP) and the Administración de Ferrocarriles del Estado (AFE) have signed an agreement to exchange logistics services, materials and real estate. Under the deal ANCAP estimates that 380,000tt/yr of fuel and 390,000t/yr of cement and limestone can be transported by rail. The arrangement also includes: offering preferential transport rates to ANCAP; moving cement and limestone between ANCAP’s plants and quarries; conducting restorative work at ANCAP’s Queguay limestone quarry and its integrated Paysandú cement plant; and supplying rail ballast to AFE.

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.

Indonesia: Semen Baturaja has signed a memorandum of understanding with Huadian Buket Asam Power. Under the agreement, the producer will supply the power company with limestone for its flue gas desulfurisation (FGD) process in exchange for fly ash, bottom ash and gypsum. The agreement will last two years until March 2023.

The cement producer’s managing director Sumsal Saifudin said, “This collaboration is a form of synergy between the two companies to improve competitiveness, which is much-needed in facing an increasingly competitive industrial environment, by taking advantage of opportunities for the creation of new revenue streams and cost transformation.”

Bangladesh: Protesters in Chhatak, Sunamganj District have accused LafargeHolcim Bangladesh of selling limestone illegally. The New Nation newspaper has reported that protesters allege that the company sold imported Indian limestone on the open market. They allege that the limestone was imported exclusively for use as a raw material in cement production under Bangladeshi tax law.

Colombia: The Regional Autonomous Corporation of Antioquia (CorAntioquia) approved the modification of the environmental license of Cemex Colombia’s upcoming 1.0Mt/yr Cementera del Magdelena Medio integrated cement plant in Maceo, Antioquia. The modification will allow for the production of up to 1.5Mt/yr of cement annually. It will additionally enable the company to extract up to 990,000t/yr of limestone and clay. The producer called the authorisation an ‘important step’ towards the plant’s completion.

Cemex Colombia and Peru president Alejandro Ramírez said, "The modification of the environmental licence is a milestone that allows us to resume work to make this project a reality, through which it is expected that we will offer our materials for infrastructure and housing works in the country more efficiently."

India: Meghalaya Cement, Star Cement and Amrit Cement have been accused of illegally mining 1.8Mt of limestone in Meghalaya between 2013 and 2018. The Northeast Now newspaper has reported that the companies mined the limestone in a tribal area of the state without environmental, forest or wildlife clearance or No Objection Certificates (NOCs). Local cement producers also allegedly owe the state government around US$40m in related limestone mining licence fees. All three cement producers reportedly made donations to a local political party.

The state government is also investigating allegations that two of the cement producers have polluted two local rivers, Wah Lukha and Wah Lunar. The former river allegedly turned ‘deep blue’ due to pollution.

Switzerland: The Federal Council has noted a report stating that, without extensions to raw material extraction licences, domestic cement production is set to decline by 36% from 2024. The Agence Télégraphique Suisse has reported that local producers are already restricted by limited legally available limestone and marl reserves. At present the local cement sector provides 86% of Switzerland’s 5Mt/yr domestic cement demand. The report by the Swiss Geological Survey states that acceptance of all proposed mining expansion projects in 2023 would delay the projected decline until the end of 2030.

India: The Indian Department of Mines and Geology has fined Trishul Cements around US$13.6m for the alleged unlawful extraction of 14,000t of limestone from the Konuppalapadu limestone mine in Andhra Pradesh. The Times of India has reported that the state government terminated its lease of the land in relation to Trishul Cements in February 2020. Investigations unearthed continued mining activity at the site in Anantapur District, along with two other companies’ sites in the Muchakota forest area of the district.