Displaying items by tag: Switzerland

Switzerland: LafargeHolcim has announced its participation in a project aimed at increasing the height of wind turbine towers by producing larger bases on-site using 3D concrete printing technology. LafargeHolcim will supply concrete for use with Denmark-based COBOD’s 3D printing technology, while US-based GE Renewable Energy backs the project. The method enables bases to exceed the 4.5m maximum diameter necessitated by road transportation. This increases the maximum height of turbine towers by 100% to 200m from 100m, which in turn raises power generation by 33% to 20.2GWh/yr from 15.1GWh/yr.

LafargeHolcim research and development head Edelio Bermejo said, “Concrete 3D printing is a very promising technology for us, as its incredible design flexibility expands the realm of construction possibilities. Being both a user and promoter of clean energy, we are delighted to be putting our material and design expertise to work in this ground-breaking project, enabling cost efficient construction of tall wind turbine towers and accelerating access to renewable energy”

India: Switzerland-based ABB has reported its successful installation of electrification and automation systems at RCC’s upcoming 3.9Mt/yr integrated Mukutban plant in Yavatmal, Maharashtra. The plant will have a 40MW captive power plant and an 11MW heat recovery system. ABB has supplied MV and LV Switchgears with UMC100.3 intelligent motors, an ABB Ability System 800xA and an ABB Ability Expert Optimiser.

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.

US: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim has named the eight recipients of its 38th annual Gygi and von Wyss Foundation Scholarship. LafargeHolcim subsidiary US Cement CEO Jamie Gentoso said, “It’s essential to invest in the education of the next generation and, with the rising costs of higher education, scholarships are more important than ever to help reduce the impact and assist in these students’ success.” Under the scholarship scheme, children of LafargeHolcim employees in the US can receive US$6000 towards higher education for a year and again for three subsequent years subject to academic performance.

Switzerland: LafargeHolcim has reported sales of Euro5.03bn in the first quarter of 2020, down by 11% year-on-year from Euro5.66bn in the corresponding period of 2019. Cement sales over the period fell by 10% year-on-year to 45.0Mt from 50.0Mt. The group’s earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) was Euro249m, down by 14% from Euro290m.

LafargeHolcim CEO Jan Jenisch said that the results showed the group’s ‘resilience, despite the COVID-19 outbreak in China’ in January 2020. Other markets were disrupted from mid-March. “I am confident that LafargeHolcim will emerge from this pandemic as an important contributor to economic recovery as building activity gets back to normal,” he added.

LafargeHolcim’s coronavirus action plan consists of a Euro380m year-on-year capex reduction, a Euro285m year-on-year fixed cost reduction, realisation of energy price reductions, a review of all third party products and services and a reduction of net working capital in line with the level of activity.

Switzerland: The board of directors of LafargeHolcim will request its shareholders to approve the appointment of Philippe Block and Kim Fausing as new members at its annual general meeting (AGM), due to be held on 12 May 2020. The appointments are intended to add perspectives from academia and the building industry to the board.

Block, a Belgian national born in 1980, is a Professor of Architecture and Structure at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland. He is the founder and co-director of the Block Research Group at ETH where his research focuses on the analysis of unreinforced masonry structures, structural design, computational form finding and new construction techniques. Since 2014 he has served on the Academic Committee of the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction.

Fausing, a Danish national born in 1964, began his professional career with the Hilti Group in Denmark 1990. He went on to run its operations then took over country operations in Austria and Japan before becoming Division President at its headquarters in Liechtenstein. In 2007 Fausing moved to the Danish Danfoss Group to assume the role of chief operating officer. In January 2008 he became a member of its executive committee, which he has chaired since July 2017 as president and chief executive officer (CEO).

Except for Paul Desmarais, Jr, all other existing members of the Board will stand for re-election, with Beat Hess remaining as chairman. Hess said, “on behalf of the entire Board of Directors I would like to thank Paul Desmarais, Jr, for his generous contributions over the past years. He will be missed. At the same time I am glad we can propose these two outstanding candidates. I’m confident they would strengthen our board’s expertise by adding vast experience from multinational corporations as well as the perspective of a renowned academic who has focused on creating sustainable solutions.”

Switzerland: LafargeHolcim has announced measures to limit the ‘volatile’ impacts of coronavirus on health and business. The measures, which overrule its previous 2020 guidance, consist of: a year-on-year capital expenditure (CAPEX) reduction of Euro378m, a year-on-year fixed cost reduction of Euro283m and a reduction of net working capital ‘at least in line with level of activity.’ LafargeHolcim has said that it had Euro7.56bn strongly liquid assets as of 26 March 2020.

LafargeHolcim predicted that global construction’s cement demand will decline in April and May 2020. It said the construction sector has begun to recover in China, where all of its cement plants outside of Hubei province are once more operational. It expects to deliver 70% of it April 2019 Chinese volumes in April 2020.

Azerbaijan: An unidentified sender has threatened executive board members of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim subsidiary Holcim Azerbaijan and their families. Turan Information Agency has reported that an alleged assault was perpetrated against a non-Azerbaijani manager of the company. Holcim Azerbaijan said, “Apparently the transparent activity of our company interferes with the interest of criminal forces.” Law enforcement authorities have launched a full investigation.

Morocco: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim subsidiary LafargeHolcim Maroc has recorded a profit of Euro161m in 2019, up by 7.5% year-on-year from Euro149m in 2018. Its sales held steady at Euro744m. The company says that it ‘does not anticipate any significant change in market conditions’ in 2020. Its new Agadir-Souss grinding plant is scheduled to come online in 2020.

El Salvador: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim subsidiary Holcim El Salvador has announced a planned investment of US$7.5m to establish six concrete plants in 2020, which will bring its total to 18 plants. Esmerk Latin American News has reported that the investment also covers ‘new trucks and other machinery.’ Holcim El Salvador also announced its intention ‘in the long term’ to resume operations at its 1.6Mt/yr Maya cement plant, mothballed in 2008, at an estimated cost of US$20m. It is currently investigating the possibility of installing a US$5m solar power plant at its 1.7Mt/yr El Ronco cement plant.

In 2019 Holcim El Salvador produced 1.2Mt of cement and 710,000m³ of concrete.