Displaying items by tag: UK
UK: Hope Construction Materials is bolstering its 300-strong concrete mixer fleet with 36 new Mercedes-Benz trucks. The new Arocs 3236 8x4 B11 4-axle mixer trucks, each equipped with a McPhee mixer system, are Euro 6 compliant, built to the latest diesel engine emission legislation from the European Commission.
The vehicles feature a string of active safety measures, including a vulnerable road user package, as well as a lane control system, collision-avoidance and smart system which warns the driver if pedestrians or cyclists are too close to the vehicle. The system, which was developed by Cycle Safety Shield using Mobileye technology, works to mitigate the risk of collisions and road departure. The Cycle Safety Solution warns drivers when a cyclist or pedestrian is within danger zones, such as the nearside blind spot area. All of the trucks are fitted with TomTom satnavs, allowing the driver to consistently take the most efficient route and for customers to be informed of the exact location of their order at any given point.
"The purchase represents a significant commitment by Hope to providing our drivers with the best possible vehicles," said Mike Cowell, COO at Hope Construction Materials. "They are the most advanced trucks on British roads and will benefit our drivers, customers and other road users."
"This is the first fleet of 8x4 Euro VI Arocs mixers to enter service in the UK and Hope has demonstrated how both safety and sustainability work hand in hand," said James Colbourne, Head of Strategic Accounts (Trucks) at Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd.
UK: Anglo American has announced that it plans to sell its equity in its joint venture project with Lafarge UK. Anglo American plans to use the proceeds of the sale to pay off debt.
Once it owns the entire firm, Lafarge plans to sell it to help it gain approval from competition regulators for its merger with Holcim. Lafarge and Holcim need to shed around Euro5bn in assets to persuade regulators to back the merger. Lafarge and Holcim's merger is expected to be completed in the first half of 2015.
"The sale will be subject to a number of conditions, including the completion of the Lafarge / Holcim merger, the divestment of Lafarge Tarmac being accepted as a suitable remedy, and approval of this sale transaction by the necessary regulators," said Anglo American.
UK: The bulk handling company Flexicon has announced a new Ultra-Heavy-Duty Bulk Bag Filling System, which palletises and fills bulk bags with filter cake, aggregates, metal powders, abrasive minerals, dry chemical additives and other difficult-to-handle bulk materials like cement and gypsum.
The system integrates a Swing-Down® Bulk Bag Filler with a Flexicon Pallet Dispenser and Powered Chain Conveyor, allowing safe, high-capacity filling of bulk bags of all popular sizes, including bags with wide-diameter spouts for the passage of irregular materials. The system is offered with Flexicon's steel-tube flexible screw conveyor integrated with the user's upstream process equipment or other material source.
First Nature Series book released by Cemex UK
23 June 2014UK: Sublime Nature, a new book launched by Cemex UK, became the first in the new Nature Series from global building materials supplier Cemex when it was launched on 18 June 2014. The book has stunning photographs of the natural world and follows the 20-volume Cemex Conservation book series.
Sublime Nature, developed in partnership with National Geographic and Christina Mittermaier, dedicated conservationist and photographer, includes spectacular photographs taken by award-winning photojournalists interspersed with inspiring words from renowned writers and environmentalists. It is aimed at creating awareness of the great beauty of the planet and promoting preservation and conservation.
Jesus Gonzalez, President of Cemex UK, said, "As a leading supplier of cement, aggregates and readymixed concrete, we recognise the need to balance the requirements of the natural world with the demands of communities for building materials to be used in new schools, homes, infrastructure and the built environment. Although recent government announcements have seen a reduction in green objectives, I remain passionate about maintaining sustainability momentum while playing a key role in delivering on our built environment challenges. Our key activities focus on driving down CO2, boosting nature around our operations, developing more sustainable solutions and being more efficient with natural resources."
UK: Repairs to the flood-damaged Cemex UK cement plant at South Ferriby are said to be making 'good' progress according to Cemex UK. The 0.8Mt/yr plant was flooded by a tidal surge from the River Humber in early December 2013.
Partial production started in April 2014 and a Cemex UK spokesman has reported to the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph that they plan on resuming full production later in 2014. Repair efforts are now focusing on the kiln systems and the two raw mills and coal mills. Cemex UK has declined to comment on how much the repairs have cost although it is rumoured to have cost as much as Euro14m. The plant employs 150 people and contributes Euro 12.5m/yr to the economy of North Lincolnshire.
UK: Cemex is seeking approval to demolish several buildings at the South Ferriby cement plant in June 2014, which were damaged by the tidal surge in December 2013.
Among the buildings scheduled to be flattened are the canteen, the main laboratory and offices, the weigh-bridge, workshop and stores, the garage and toilet blocks. Cemex is also seeking approval to demolish the off-site social club. No cost details have yet been revealed.
UK: UK-based Anglo American plc said that it has completed the sale of its building products unit, Tarmac Building Products Ltd (TBP), to Lafarge Tarmac, without providing financial details.
Lafarge Tarmac is a 50/50 joint venture between Lafarge and Anglo American, formed through the merger of Lafarge's business in the UK and the local construction materials and services businesses of Anglo American.
UK: Saxlund International Ltd, a subsidiary of Opcon AB, is preparing to commence construction on the materials handling contract won late in 2013 for Hope Construction Materials' Hope Valley cement plant in Derbyshire, UK.
As part of Hope's move to replace fossil fuels with more sustainable solutions, Saxlund will provide an alternative fuel system for the use of Solid Waste Fuel (SWF). Saxlund's scope includes supplying the design, manufacture and delivery of a push floor storage system, reclaim conveyor, process tower with drum magnet, star screen and feed into the weighing and pneumatic injection system to the main burner on both kilns.
"We've worked hard to expand our portfolio in this sector and to provide clients with some of the best solutions in the market," said Rob Leighton, business development manager for Alternative Fuel Systems at Saxlund. "It's good to work with clients like Hope, who are doing as much as they can to run their businesses as efficiently and sustainably as possible. With increasing costs of fossil fuels and the increasing range of waste-derived fuels available, Hope is keen to use more and more alternative fuels in order to reduce their energy costs and improve environmental performance where possible."
Cementir plans to increase white cement business
17 March 2014Worldwide: Cementir Holding plans to close a deal within 12 months that could enhance its position in the white cement industry, according to Reuters.
Francesco Caltagirone, CEO of Cementir, said that the company is looking at potential sector acquisitions in the US, sub-Saharan Africa and the Far East. Cementir also plans to boost its waste management operations in Europe, beyond the markets in Turkey and the north of England where it is currently focused.
Production to restart at Cemex flood-hit plant
07 March 2014UK: Commissioning has started on the repaired plant at the flood-damaged Cemex cement works at South Ferriby, UK and production will be resumed imminently.
The breakthrough comes three months after the plant, which employs 150 staff, was put out of action by a tidal surge from the nearby River Humber. A Cemex spokesman said, "Commissioning has started on the cement mill, which has been upgraded and improved since the flood on 5 December 2013. It has been a very long and complex process but we hope production will resume very soon."
Normally the 76-year-old plant produces around 800,000t/yr of cement so the loss of production over three months will mount to 200,000t.
The local employees have been retained on full pay since 5 December 2013 when the tidal surge saw the River Humber burst its banks and swamp the plant with millions of litres of water. The most serious damage was caused to the site's electrical network.