Displaying items by tag: plant

Romania: Concrete paving slab producer Symmetrica's sales grew by 40% to €30.2m in the first half of 2024, driven by strong demand for road and water infrastructure projects. Sales volumes also grew, by 30%, to 2.7Mm². The producer noted high costs, which it partly offset by raising its prices. It also faced collection issues and a decline in residential demand.

SeeNews has reported that Symmetrica is currently building a new €48m concrete paving slab plant Bucharest. When commissioned in mid-late 2024, it will be the largest plant of its kind in the region.

India: The Haryana Forest Department has reclaimed 1.2 hectares of woodland in Basai, Haryana, from the Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). The Times of India newspaper has reported that the GDMA had allotted the land to a proposed ready-mix concrete plant project. The land was reportedly subject to no official agreement as to its use, raising fears of unlawful development.

The Haryana Forest Department said "The reclamation of this forest land is a significant conservation effort for Gurgaon. It sends a clear message that the protection of natural habitats is top priority for us and no kind of encroachment on protected land will be tolerated."

Russia: Belarusian Cement has concluded a deal with the Moscow regional government to build a logistics facility in the region at Naro-Fominsk. Prime Press News has reported that the facility will cost US$22.5m. It will be equipped with ready-mix concrete, precast concrete and dry mix plants, as well as a rail terminal, storage areas and loading zones for despatches by road.

Director General Alexander Dovgalo said "This investment will not only bolster our logistics capabilities but also enhance our service quality for Russian partners and extend our market reach within Russia and the CIS member states."

Mexico: The government commissioned the 500t/day San Lorenzo-Tláhuac demolition materials recycling plant in Mexico City on 6 June 2024. The US$2.18m plant will produce 600m³/day of concrete, as well as concrete blocks at a rate of 2000/day. It will receive demolition materials from the Xochimilco Lagoon, where 14Mm³ was deposited following the 1985 Mexican City earthquake, as well as from current job sites in Mexico City.

Secretary of Works Jesús Esteva Medina noted that the San Lorenzo-Tláhuac plant is the first in public ownership, operating alongside privately-owned plants at Bordo Poniente and Miguel Hidalgo.

Bosnia & Herzegovina: Ingram commissioned a new €5.11m ready-mix concrete plant in Tuzla on 6 June 2024. The producer says that it has also begun the construction of a fully automated precast concrete products plant. Local contractor Bingo is responsible for both projects.

Australia: Local authorities in Isaac, Queensland, have received an application for the planned US$664m Lotus Creek wind farm, including the construction of three temporary ready-mix concrete batching plants to supply the project. The plants will supply 55,000m³ of concrete for the footings of 46 turbine towers. Each one will operate successively as construction progresses over a period of two years. The Lotus Creek wind farm originally secured planning permission in late 2022.

UK: Heidelberg Materials UK has opened a new circular materials hub at its Appleford depot in Oxfordshire. The site will recycle construction waste for use in low-CO₂ building materials. The move advances the company’s strategy to conserve natural materials and support the circular economy.

Recycling managing director James Whitelaw said “Recycling, reusing and reducing the use of primary raw materials is crucial to reaching net zero. Our network of recycling hubs will allow us to provide the most sustainable products to our customers through circularity and innovation to enable building more with less.”

Romania: IBB Holding inaugurated a new €1.5m ready-mix concrete batching plant in Mogoșoaia, Bucharest. Money News has reported that the plant is the company’s fourth.

CEO Ion Crăciunescu said "Through this new concrete plant located in the north of Bucharest, we are in a favourable position to participate in tenders for infrastructure projects in this area and establish strategic partnerships with real estate developers. Moreover, we can ensure the quality of the materials used, faster and more efficient services. Our strategy is to offer services integrated with production, with responsibility towards the environment and towards future generations, adapted to each type of project in which we are involved: infrastructure, residential, commercial or industrial construction. The real need that Romania has both in terms of investments in infrastructure and in the housing fund, as well as the projects already started, leads us to look optimistically at the development of our businesses in the medium and long term."

Argentina: Holcim Argentina has paid US$28.5m to acquire Tensolite, a producer and supplier of precast and prestressed concrete products such as concrete blocks, fences, tiles and paving stones. This move aims to diversify its domestic product portfolio in response to the ‘significant’ decline in local cement dispatches.

The acquisition is valued at US$28.5m, according to The National Securities Commission has reported that Holcim will pay US$19m upon closure of the transaction and another US$6.65m 12 months thereafter. The remaining US$2.85m will be due in five equal annual instalments.

Christian Dedeu, CEO of Holcim Argentina, said “In March, we recorded a 40% year-on-year drop in dispatches, according to the Portland Cement Manufacturers Association. The decision to expand our product range is key to mitigating the sharp drop in sales.”

The deal includes integrating two precast and prestressed concrete plants located in Los Pocitos (Tucuman) and Río Segundo (Córdoba), and adding over 150 employees to Holcim Argentina's workforce. The acquired plants have a total production capacity of 12m concrete blocks per year and 14Mm/yr of concrete beams. Holcim aims for 30% of its revenue to come from non-cement construction services by 2025.

UK: Recycling company Scott Bros plans to install a plant to produce low carbon concrete made from filter cake at its soil wash plant in Middlesbrough. The company has been working with Teesside University on a series of trials to find by how much it can reduce the amount of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) it is using in its concrete mixes. It has been researching how to use filter cake, a fine-grained clay, which it produces as a by-product from its two ‘urban quarries’ which convert construction and excavation waste into sand and aggregate. The silicate clay-rich filter cake, which has cementitious properties, is currently used as low value BS-certified pond lining material or inert engineering fill.

The €715,000 research project is being funded by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the UK’s innovation agency.