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Displaying items by tag: Spain
Spain: Cement consumption in Andalucía decreased by 7% in the first half of 2024 to 1.54Mt. In June 2024, consumption dropped 7.6% to 271,415t. This decline extends to exports of clinker and cement, which fell by 24% to 247,805t, as reported by the Andalusian Cement Manufacturers’ Association (AFCA).
Carmen Díaz, president of AFCA, said "The first half figures are negative due to a slowdown in planned infrastructure execution. Considering the daily consumption in June, having two fewer business days this year than in 2023, the monthly figure would be positive, indicating potential recovery in the construction sector in the second half of 2024."
Catalonia's cement consumption hit by infrastructure investment deficit in first half of 2024
24 July 2024Catalonia: Cement consumption in Catalonia decreased by 3% year-on-year to 1.1Mt in the first half of 2024. Cement production rose by 0.2% year-on-year to 3.21Mt. However, cement and clinker exports dropped by 25% to 1.5Mt.
The president of Ciment Català, Salvador Fernández Capo, said "The continued infrastructure deficit is hindering Catalonia's economic growth, affecting the well-being and quality of life of its citizens and diminishing the competitiveness of the country's economy.”
Spain: Cement consumption in Spain fell by 3.3% in the first half of 2024 to 7.27Mt, a decrease of 0.25Mt from the same period in 2023, according to Oficemen's latest statistics. June 2024 saw a year-on-year decline of 4.2%, with consumption dropping to 1.25Mt. Cement exports also decreased significantly in the first half of 2024, representing a decline of 20.2% year-on-year.
Oficemen's general manager, Aniceto Zaragoza, said "Our forecasts point to a change in trend towards more positive data in the second half of the year. In fact, the figures for average daily consumption, which only consider working days in the comparison, show growth of 5.3%."
Mondi and Cemex launch SolmixBag in Spain
28 June 2024Spain: Mondi has launched the 'SolmixBag', a sustainable packaging solution, in collaboration with Cemex in the Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca. The single-layer paper bag is designed to store and transport dry mortar, dissolving in the mixing process and integrating with the cement to reduce waste. The Balearic Islands have strict legal requirements on landfilling, waste incineration and extended producer responsibility, which have reportedly initiated the partnership.
Commercial Director at Mondi, Fabio Barbieri, said "This is an exciting step in the trajectory of SolmixBag, which offers an easy and convenient solution to use on construction sites. The product launch brings our MAP2030 goals to life by effectively reducing waste, and also illustrates our collaborative approach.”
Spain: Domestic cement consumption in Catalonia fell by 8.5% year-on-year in the year to May 2024, reaching 2.1Mt, while production decreased by 6.6% to 3.14Mt. Exports also declined by 18% to 1.6Mt during this period.
According to Ciment Català, the statistics confirm the ‘sluggishness’ of the domestic market and the difficulties Catalan companies face in competing in other regions and countries. It warned that the situation could become worse due to the general economic situation in the region. Salvador Fernández Capo, president of Ciment Català, said that investment in infrastructure was likely to be further delayed.
Carmen Boulet appointed as Director of Sustainability, Strategy and New Businesses at Votorantim Cimentos Spain
19 June 2024Spain: Votorantim Cimentos Spain has appointed Carmen Boulet as Director of Sustainability, Strategy and New Businesses. She previously worked for McKinsey & Company as an Engagement Manager before working for Google in Spain as Strategic Partner Manager Lead and later becoming the Strategy Director for Clarity AI. Boulet holds a master of engineering degree from the Universidad Pontificia Comillas and a master of business administration qualification from the Columbia Business School.
Spain: Heidelberg Materials, the owner of Cementos Rezola, has announced a restructuring plan that will affect 56 employees, roughly half of the workforce at the Añorga plant in Donostia. This decision comes as part of an employment regulation filing (ERE) linked to the cessation of clinker production in a move towards decarbonising cement manufacturing.
The company has proposed 15 early retirements, 30 internal relocations (to other plants within the group) and 11 external relocations. Unions have clarified that of the internal transfers, 15 positions are offered at the Arrigorriaga plant in Bizkaia. Management stated that those not interested in relocation options within the group will be offered external relocation solutions and can avail of measures the company will implement to assist in finding new employment in the labour market.
The company said “The ERE targets positions that are no longer required as a result of the cessation of clinker production, necessary to meet decarbonisation obligations.”
Despite the significant impact of the ERE, the company highlighted that this represents a proportion ‘substantially lower than the decrease in activity volume’ at the Añorga plant. It also confirmed plans to continue cement production in Añorga using clinker produced at the ‘more efficient plant in Arrigorriaga’.
This transition will support a €32m investment from 2024 to 2026 aimed at decarbonising both plants. Half of this investment will be allocated to the Añorga plant to transform it into a facility specialising in ‘sustainable’ cement.
Spain: Cement consumption in Spain grew by 0.3% in May 2024 to 1.36Mt, an increase of nearly 3600t compared to May 2023, as reported by the Cement Manufacturers' Association of Spain (Oficemen). Over the first five months of 2024, consumption fell by 3.4% to 6Mt, a decline of 0.21Mt from the same period in 2023. From June 2023 - May 2024, consumption dropped by 4.6% to 14.3Mt, nearly 700,000t less than the previous period.
Meanwhile, exports in May 2024 rose by 11.4% to 0.51Mt, nearly 52,000t more than in May 2023. However, cumulative exports for 2024 have decreased by 18.2% to 1.95Mt. Over the past 12 months, exports totalled 4.76Mt, a 14.7% decline, representing a year-on-year decline of over 800,000t.
Spain: Heidelberg Materials plans to stop clinker production at its Añorga plant near San Sebastián and run the site as a cement grinding plant instead. It says it intends to use the change to focus on low-carbon cement products in Spain and the South-West of France. The clinker required to supply the markets in Northern Spain and the South-West of France will be produced at Heidelberg Materials Spain’s Bilbao plant instead. The closure of the clinker production line at Añorga will start once staff negotiations at the plant are completed. The company said that, “socially acceptable solutions for all affected employees are being sought.”
Spain: The Cemex plant in Alcanar has been granted €3m from the PERTE project for industrial decarbonisation, facilitated by the Ministry of Industry. This subsidy is part of a broader initiative involving 19 projects with a total aid of €96m under Line 1 of the programme. Cemex aims to contribute to decarbonisation of the clinker production process at its Alcanar facility by centralising compressed air production to enhance energy efficiency, replacing 14 old compressors with two more powerful and efficient units. The plant also plans to increase the use of alternative fuels in clinker production by integrating waste-derived and biomass fuels.