Displaying items by tag: Partnership

Switzerland/US: LafargeHolcim has announced the extension of its partnership with Solidia Technologies to mid-2020. Cash News has reported that the partnership, which has seen a 30% reduction in LafargeHolcim’s overall CO₂ emissions since its formation in mid-2013, aims to achieve a 70% reduction in the producer’s carbon footprint.

Indonesia: Japan-based Taiheiyo Cement has announced its acquisition of a 15% stake in state-owned Semen Indonesia subsidiary Solusi Bangun Indonesia for between US$186m and US$232m, subject to the terms of a partnership agreement with Semen Indonesia.

Under the ‘2020 Mid-Term Management Plan,’ Taiheiyo Cement says that it aims to ‘become a corporate group with a strong presence in the Pacific Rim.’ Its partnership with Semen Indonesia is part of Taiheiyo Cement’s response to a forecasted long-term decline in domestic cement demand in Japan.

In the first quarter of 2020 Semen Indonesia sold 9.36Mt of cement, up by 7.0% year-on-year from 8.74Mt in the corresponding period of 2019. InsiderStories News has reported that domestic demand in the period fell by 4.9% to 14.9Mt from 15.7Mt, while exports fell by 2.5% to 1.39Mt from 1.42Mt but rose by 6.2% on a month-by-month basis in March 2020 to 3.09Mt from 2.91Mt in February 2020. April 2020’s cement sales are expected to be lower due to the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.

Poland: Denmark-based chain specialist ScanChain has announced that it will be producing and distributing chains from a new facility located in Poznan in the province of Greater Poland. The company says it has ended its partnership with a partial ownership by UK-based John King Chains.

Scan Chain said “Over the past three years we have seen a great growth in new markets. We are pleased that both ScanChain and John King Chains wish to establish a strong link going forward.”

Germany: Siemens subsidiary Flender, which supplies couplings and gearboxes to the cement industry, has signed a partnership agreement for technological solutions with digital drive specialist Currax. The partnership aims to bring a comprehensive increase in efficiency to Flender’s business and a high level of flexibility for customers. Currax executive director Daniel Aßman said, “From customer acquisition to sales, from implementation to support, Currax is the contact for all matters relating to the Flender portfolio.”

Japan: Ofunato biomass power plant began generating electricity on 1 January 2020. The 75MW plant is the result of a 65:35 partnership between Taiheiyo Cement and electrical engineering firm Elex formed in July 2016, with a total investment of US$36.5m. It will primarily burn coconut matter to provide electricity for sale and supply to Taiheiyo Cement’s 1.9Mt/yr integrated Ofunato plant. Taiheiyo Cement says that its will generate 520,000MWh/yr, replacing fossil fuels responsible for 0.3Mt/yr of CO2 emissions.

Germany: Four of Europe’s leading cement producers have partnered to found and operate a 100% carbon capture and storage (CCS) plant at Schwenk Zement’s 1.0Mt/yr Mergelstetten plant in southern Germany. HeidelbergCement has announced that the catch4climate project will enter operation in 2020.

Russia: Swiss-based LafargeHolcim has signed a cooperation agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for the purposes of supporting market growth and attaining to international quality, sustainability and energy efficiency standards. Contify Investment News has reported that LafargeHolcim, whose total integrated capacity of 9.4Mt in Russia is spread across four plants, will receive equity co-investments for projects from the Russian sovereign wealth fund. Maxim Goncharov, CEO of LafargeHolcim Russia, said that the partnership facitates the company’s global expertise "in solving target issues related to the industry’s and society’s development,” such as the co-processing of waste as a substitute fuel.

UK: The body responsible for the UK’s 15 National Parks has acknowledged the building materials and construction company Tarmac as its lead partner in recognition of its sustainable practice at the UK National Parks Conference at the Yorkshire Dales National Park headquarters. The Conference on the occasion of the 70^th anniversary of the inauguration of the National Parks was supported by Tarmac.

Germany/UK: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) and the European Cement Research Academy (ECRA) have announced a formal partnership agreement. The strategic alliance is aimed at fostering innovation in the cement and concrete sectors and across their value chain partners.

Under the terms of the agreement, the GCCA and ECRA have granted each other mutual membership in order to aid collaboration. In addition, ECRA’s managing director will join the GCCA’s Partnership Council and the GCCA’s cement director will join ECRA’s Technical Advisory Council. The two parties will share their current work programs and identify key areas for future collaboration and input.

“ECRA’s mission to advance innovation in the cement industry within the context of sustainable development, as well as communicating key knowledge and research findings in technology, fits perfectly with the GCCA’s aim of driving advances in sustainable construction,” said Benjamin Sporton, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the GCCA.

US/Austria: Sempertrans USA, part of Semperit Group, and Shaw Almex Industries have agreed to end a cooperation agreement for the North American conveyor belt market. The agreement was originally set up in 2016. Sempertrans USA has set up a sales and distribution organisation for conveyor belts in North America and it will use this to serve its customers. Tim Shaw, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Shaw Almex, said that both companies had agreed that it would be better if they acted independently so that they could be more ‘flexible’ in handling their respective customers.