Displaying items by tag: Terminal

Kuwait/Germany: HeidelbergCement has detailed the reasons behind the sale of its 51% stake in Hilal Cement, which has been led by HeidelbergCement subsidiary Suez Cement since 2016. The group said that the divestment represents the first step in a ‘comprehensive portfolio optimisation’ in line with its Beyond 2020 strategy.

Chief executive officer Dominik von Achten said, “We are pleased with the closing of the transaction in Kuwait.” He continued, “The focus of our portfolio management is the simplification of country portfolios and a prioritisation of the strongest market positions.”

Hilal Cement operates two cement terminals and four ready-mix plants.

Spain: LafargeHolcim has successfully demolished a 78.5m high silo at its Los Barrios Port Terminal in the Port of Algeciras. The company is currently dismantling its unit at the port. A specialised company was hired by the cement producer to conduct the operation following a survey.

US: The Maui Planning Commission has approved Hawaiian Cement’s final environmental assessment as part of its plan to move its Kahului Harbour cement terminal to an adjacent facility. The application will now move to the state Office of Environmental Quality Control for a 30 day period before the permitting process can continue, according to the Maui News newspaper. The relocation will see the erection of two new silos, with a total capacity of 6000t.

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos has built a new distribution centre in Campos Novos, Santa Catarina. When it opens in January 2021, the facility will supply a ‘complete portfolio for the civil construction market’ in Santa Catarina, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul. It will receive goods from six cement and building materials plants in the company’s South Brazil region.

Regional commercial general manager Tony Noritake said, “We invested in this distribution centre to better meet customer demand in the South, expand our presence and optimise costs."

Iceland: HeildelbergCement subsidiary Sementsverksmidjan has apologised for an incident which caused cement dust to be released from a silo at its terminal in Akranes. An overflow during loading caused the dust to settle on nearby houses. The company collaborated with fire services, utilities companies and residents to tidy up.

The company said, “The incident yesterday was an accident which did not comply with the policy and will of the company or its owners. The company therefore apologises to all those who suffered inconvenience and will do everything in its power to ensure that accidents of this kind do not recur.”

France: Eqiom’s Rochefort cement plant has won the Safety Trophy from the French cement industry union (SFIC). The award recognises work to reduce all types of workplace accidents. The subsidiary of Ireland-based CRH also won a safety award for its Chelles terminal, recognising its connected approach to logistics management.

Australia: Adbri subsidiary Cockburn Cement has approved a US$152m upgrade to its Kwinana grinding plant in Western Australia. It says the investment will consolidate the cement operations at its Kwinana site. At present clinker is transported by truck from the Kwinana Bulk Terminal to cement mills at both the Kwinana grinding plant and the company’s integrated plant at Munster. It will increase its production capacity to 1.5Mt/yr from 1.1Mt/yr at present. The project is expected to save the company US$15m/yr due to better energy, transport and maintenance efficiency when the plant is commissioned by mid-2023. The producer will fund the investment through existing debt facilities.

The upgrade project includes: a bulk materials conveyor linking the Kwinana Bulk Terminal (KBT) facility to a new 110,000t clinker storage shed, incorporating an automated reclaim system, to eliminate road transport and minimise clinker handling using mobile equipment; a slag feed system that will handle granulated blast furnace slag and additives such as gypsum and limestone; a ball mill circuit with the installation of two new cement mills capable of grinding slag and clinker; and a new 21,000t finished product storage, truck loading and weighbridge infrastructure for storage and despatch.

UK: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has accepted Breedon Group’s proposed divestments as part of its acquisition of certain assets from Cemex subsidiary Cemex Investments. The agreement will see the divestment of 14 sites - including a cement terminal, two quarries and 10 ready-mix plants - to Tillicoultry Quarries.

The building materials producer said that it “notes the announcement today by the CMA that it has accepted Breedon's undertakings in lieu of a reference to a Phase 2 investigation in respect of its acquisition of certain assets from Cemex Investments Limited.”

Philippines: LafargeHolcim subsidiary Holcim Philippines has announced plans to merge with its subsidiaries Bulkcem Philippine Incorporated and MabiniGrinding Mill Corporation. The Philippine Star newspaper has reported that the board has approved the planned merger, and that a special stockholders’ meeting will take place on 15 January 2021 to finalise the transactions.

Bulkcem Philippine Incorporated leases the Iloilo cement terminal in Western Visayas, while MabiniGrinding Mill Corporation leases the Mabini grinding plant in Calabarzon.

The board also approved the dissolution of Holcim’s Business Service Center, HuBB Stores and Services and British Virgin Islands-based WellBorne Group International.

US: Austin Quinn-Davidson, the acting mayor of Anchorage in Alaska, has announced that the city’s new cement and petroleum terminal at the Port of Alaska will be completed by late 2021. The Anchorage Daily News has reported that the estimated US$203m terminal will last for 75 years and be able to endure future seismic events like the earthquake that damaged the port in November 2018.

Municipal manager Bill Falsey said, “Even in these challenging times, we can still do big and important and challenging things.” He estimated the eventual total cost of an upgrade to the port would be around US$1bn.