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Displaying items by tag: Quarry
Spain: Cementos Alfa, part of Cementos Portland Valderrivas Group, has received permission from the Ministry of Environment to expand its quarry. The approval also allows the cement producer to expand the area of its quarry, according to the El Diario Montañés newspaper. The quarry currently produces 0.6Mt/yr of limestone and marl that are used for clinker production at the neighbouring plant.
Jamaica: Caribbean Cement plans to raise the production of gypsum and limestone from its quarries. It intends to increase the size of its Halberstadt Gypsum Quarry to 200,000t/yr and build a new 800,000t/yr limestone quarry at Harbour Head, according to the Gleaner newspaper. Both quarries will be near to the cement producer’s plant at Rockfort in Kingston. The plan requires approval from the National Environment & Planning Agency.
Caribbean Cement says that the expansions to its quarrying operations are required to secure supply of these materials. It has not commented on the size of the investment required for the project. Its quarries are operated through a subsidiary, Jamaica Gypsum & Quarries.
Protesters call for closure of Asia Cement quarry
01 March 2018Taiwan: Protestors have called for the closure of Asia Cement’s quarry in Hualien. The government proposed an amendment to the Mining Act in December 2017 that would require quarries in aboriginal territories to obtain the consent of aboriginal communities, according to the Taipei Times newspaper. However, the quarry has been exempted because the Bureau of Mines extended the company’s mining rights by 20 years in early 2017. Aborigines from the Taroko National Park area said that the government’s approval of the amendment was ‘illegal’ and demanded that their traditional land, which is occupied by the quarry, be returned to them. Asia Cement said it would ensure that the mine is environmentally sound, that water sources near the mine are protected and that mining safety standards meet regulations. It added that it would also work with aboriginal communities and continue talks with them and the government as necessary.
Lafarge Zimbabwe to expand quarry
15 February 2018Zimbabwe: Lafarge Zimbabwe is looking to expand its operations as it is set to commence exploratative drilling for lime within the next two months. It already has two mining operations where limestone is extracted at Mbubu in Mashonaland East Province and Sternblick quarry in Harare.
The company told local press that exploratative drilling was anticipated to commence in April 2018. This comes as its environmental impact assessment for limestone exploration drilling in Pfura Rural District was approved. The company has contracted Bumira Environmental Consultants to perform the environmental assessment.
Anhui Conch Cement to buy drilling rig from Atlas Copco
15 November 2017China: Anhui Conch Cement plans to buy and import a hydraulic drilling rig for a limestone quarry supporting a cement plant at Tongchuan in Shaanxi. Atlas Copco is one of the lead suppliers of the equipment, according to Inside International Industrials. Delivery is scheduled by February 2018. The estimated cost is around US$1.7m.
The overall mining project is expected to have a production capacity of 4500t/day with a total value of US$61m. Construction is planned to begin in the first half of 2018. It was approved by Shaanxi Provincial Development and Reform Commission in mid-2017.
Lafarge France to upgrade mill at Havre-Saint-Vigor cement plant
25 September 2017France: Lafarge France plans to spend Euro14.5m towards upgrading its Havre-Saint-Vigor cement plant. Euro8m will be spent on upgrading the plant’s mill and modernising its dock. The remainder will be spent on changes to the quarry including a new crane and wharf. The quarry at the site will be used to process construction waste from the Greater Paris area.
Four killed in explosion at Rohri Cement plant
20 September 2017Pakistan: At least four people have been killed at the Rohri Cement plant in Sindh whilst deactivating explosives. The fatalities included two law enforcement officers, a member of the bomb disposal squad and a worker, according to the Express Tribune newspaper. At least eight other people were also injured in the blast.
The police say that the victims were attempting to defuse around 2000kg of explosive material when it detonated accidentally. The explosives, designated for use in the plant’s quarry, had been dumped near the plant by its previous management.
US: Cemex USA says it invested over US$50m in 2016 on projects and improvements in cement plant operations and other facilities to help reduce environmental impact and conserve nearby wildlife. Four cement plants - Brooksville, Miami, Clinchfield and Victorville - achieved the Energy Star Certification from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for 2017. In 2016 all active Cemex cement plants in the US achieved the Wildlife Habitat Council's Conservation Certification, and several sites in California are currently working to attain that goal.
In May 2017 the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department awarded Cemex the 2017 Lone Star Land Steward Award for the Trans Pecos Ecoregion for its on-going commitment to sustainability and land stewardship at the El Carmen Nature Reserve. The company also received the Wildlife Habitat Council's Gold Tier Program of the Year for work at El Carmen in 2016. Other environmental initiatives by the company also include wildlife conservation efforts at various quarries in California.
Gabon: Morocco’s Ciments de l'Afrique (CIMAF) is planning to upgrade its cement grinding plant at Owendo with a clinker production line. The upgrade is anticipated to double the plant’s cement production capacity to 1.2Mt/yr from 0.6Mt/yr, according to Agence Ecofin. CIMAF plans to invest Euro150m in the project. Potential quarry sites at Ntoum and Nkoltang have been identified to support the initiative. The upgrade is intended to meet local demand and to provide export options to the Republic of the Congo and Cameroon. CIMAF’s grinding plant was opened in June 2016.
State government to reopen Bheema Cements
22 June 2017India: The state government of Telangana plans to help reopen the 0.9Mt/yr Bheema Cements plant at Bhavya. Following the recommendations of a committee the government intends to revive the plant subject to certain conditions and payments, according to the Press Trust of India. The plant was closed due to financial losses in 2014. Mining leases allocated to the plant have also expired.