Pond Biofuels’ pilot plant located next to St Marys Cement Co.’s plant in St. Marys, Ontario, is taking raw smokestack gas from the cement plant and growing algae, according to Beacon News. The company just installed their own third-generation 25,000 liter bioreactor. “We consider ourselves a carbon recycling technology. Something that allows us to reuse a byproduct from industry,” said Steve…
Read MoreParaguay to Reactivate Plants With State Loan
The Paraguayan government is set to approve a $67 million loan to Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC) to reactivate the company’s investments in its Vallemí and Villeta plants, which were on hold due to lack of funds. The funding will allow INC to continue its $25.7 million contract with FLSmidth for fuel conversion at the Vallemí plant as well as…
Read MoreLawsuit Names Holcim in Cuban Land Deal
A lawsuit in Spain has turned up documents indicating that Holcim may have invested in a Cuban cement plant despite warnings the deal might violate U.S. law because it sits on land seized from U.S. citizens, reports the Miami Herald. The deal took place in 2000 – when Holcim operated under the name Holderbank – but ownership was put under a…
Read MoreSt Marys Cement Receives International Recognition
St Marys Cement’s Bowmanville plant will receive an international award for excellence in energy conservation on May 29. The Certification in Energy Excellence (CEE) from 360 Energy Inc., a Burlington, Ontario-based energy services firm, is awarded to industry and commercial leaders in energy management who are taking a proactive approach to lowering energy usage. St Marys has reduced its annual…
Read MoreCemex Announces Senior Level Management Changes
Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. announced corporate staff functions will now be organized in six executive vice-presidencies, reporting to the CEO, and led by the following executives. Jose Antonio Gonzalez has been appointed executive vice president of finance (CFO) and will oversee finance, controllership, taxes and processes assessment. Maher Al-Haffar has been appointed executive vice president of investor relations, communications and…
Read MoreMarch Cement Shipments Up 6 Percent
Total shipments of portland and blended cement in the United States and Puerto Rico in March 2014 were 6.1 million metric tons (Mt), up by nearly 6 percent from the level in March 2013, according to the most recent USGS Mineral Industry Survey. Shipments for the year through March were 15.7 Mt, up by about 3 percent from the same…
Read MoreLafarge Sells Ecuador Cement Unit
Lafarge SA, who plans to merge with Holcim Ltd., sold its Ecuador cement operations to Peru’s Union Andina de Cementos SAA for an enterprise value of $553 million to reduce debt. Lafarge Cementos SA operates an integrated cement plant of 1.4 million tons capacity, located in Otavalo, in the northern part of the country, the Paris-based company said in a…
Read MorePCA: Cement Consumption Continues Steady Climb
Although recent economic indicators point to a tempering of the U.S. economy, the Portland Cement Association is maintaining its forecast for steady growth in construction and cement consumption during the next five years.
Read MoreCemex Appoints New CEO, Chairman
With the sudden passing of Lorenzo Zambrano earlier this week, Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V.’s Board of Directors, by unanimous decision, has appointed Fernando A. Gonzalez as chief executive officer and Rogelio Zambrano as chairman of the board of directors, effective immediately.
Read MoreCemex Chairman, CEO Zambrano Dead at 70
Lorenzo Zambrano, who turned Cemex from a regional cement producer to a global cement giant, died yesterday in Madrid of natural causes, according to the company. Cemex announced that its board of directors will meet “in the coming days to make the necessary decisions” while the operation and administration of the group continues “to proceed normally.” It is unclear who…
Read More