Displaying items by tag: UK
Bestway Cement donates US$3.75m so far in 2020
24 April 2020Pakistan: Bestway Cement has donated US$3.75m to charity causes between 31 December 2019 and 24 April 2020, including a US$1.25m donation to the state coronavirus relief fund on 23 April 2020. Bestway Group CEO Zameer Choudrey said, “We are conscious of our responsibility as Pakistan’s largest overseas investor. More resources will be devoted as and when necessary.” Bestway Group is based in the UK.
CRH publishes 2020 first quarter trading statement
23 April 2020Ireland: CRH has said that it had a ‘positive start to the year’ in the first three months of 2020. Total sales over the period rose by 3% year-on-year. In the Americas region, cement volumes rose by 4% and prices by 6%. European cement sales were ‘broadly in line with the same period of 2019’ due to general volume and price increases offset by a fall in volumes in Western Europe.
Government-implemented covid-19 restrictions on construction towards the end of the period impacted sales in Canada, the UK and France. The likely effects on 2020 profit ‘cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.’ CRH chief executive officer (CEO) Albert Manifold said, “With the financial strength of CRH and the experience of our leadership teams, we will endure through these unprecedented and uncertain times.”
RDF Industry Group launches coronavirus crisis response
17 April 2020UK: RDF Industry Group has convened a refuse-derived fuel (RDF) industry working group to meet on a fortnightly basis to discuss the sectoral impacts of coronavirus. The Group said that it ‘is working with competent authorities to ensure the free flow of RDF is maintained.’ It acknowledged that RDF supply is essential to European cement production, adding, “The flow of RDF from the UK to off-take facilities in Europe is continuing, with the industry overall functioning well.”
Krasnoyarsk Cement begins emissions monitoring
09 April 2020Russia: Sibirskiy Cement subsidiary Krasnoyarsk Cement has equipped the exhaust stack of its 1.1Mt/yr Krasnoyarsk, Siberia plant with an emissions monitoring system supplied by Finland-based Gasmet. The system provides continuous NOx, CO2 and SO2 monitoring via a UK-based Oxitec 500E gas analyser, Germany-based Durag D-FL-220 flow rate meter and a Gasmet Simatic computer. Krasnoyarsk managing director Vladimir Afanasin said, “We approached the choice of equipment taking into account all the requirements of the Russian environmental legislation, which have recently been significantly tightened.”
Krasnoyarsky Cement will complete preliminary testing of the installation in late 2020.
UK: Aggregate Industries has announced a donation of materials to the NHS for use in construction of the Louisa Jordan temporary coronavirus hospital in the Scottish Exhibition Centre (SEC) Glasgow. The hospital will host up to 1000 patients when completed in April 2020.
Breedon Group announces closure of Irish plants
02 April 2020Ireland: UK-based Breedon Group has announced the suspension of operations at its 0.7Mt/yr integrated Kinnegad plant in County Westmeath and all other sites in Ireland. Breedon Group guaranteed 100% to pay to all Irish and UK staff to 30 April 2020.
Two non-executive directors of Breedon Group, Susie Farnon and Peter Cornell, have taken retirement.
Hope stays open through Breedon coronavirus lockdown
31 March 2020UK: Breedon Group has suspended production at all UK sites except operations that ‘serve critical supply needs,’ such as those of the Hope, Derbyshire, cement plant. The group’s Ireland operations also continue, ‘pending further guidance from the Irish government.’
Breedon Group says that it has taken the temporary measures ‘to ensure the safety and wellbeing of colleagues, subcontractors, customers and communities.’
ScanChain opens new Polish plant
27 March 2020Poland: 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.”
MPA lobbies for clarity and cash
26 March 2020UK: Mineral Products Association (MPA) chief executive Nigel Jackson has written to the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, welcoming his deferment of value added tax (VAT) and urging the extension of this deferment to Employer National Insurance (ENI), Corporation Tax and Business Rates. “What business needs now are fast and simple solutions that enable them to keep cash in their businesses and their employees in their jobs,” said Jackson. “Fixed costs are very high. Once the recovery starts the pent-up demand will be immense.”
World: Cement producers are mobilising human and material resources and implementing strategies to keep operations going with the minimum possible impact from the coronavirus. Germany-based HeidelbergCement subsidiary Lehigh Hanson has closed a minority of its facilities and prepared a contingency plan for further reduced operations ‘if conditions worsen.’ Brazil-based Votorantim Cimentos has established a Special Coronavirus Crisis Management Commission to aid communications and emergency response implementation across its facilities. UK-based Quinn has suspended all non-essential travel for employees.