Holcim plans Romanian investment

Improving energy efficiency is the target of a €14million investment announced by Holcim Romania for its Alesd cement plant. Under the plan, the company will develop an electricity production unit that uses the heat generated during the cement production operations. The unit will generate around 25% of the electricity needed by the factory and is expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2012.

The 2009 downturn hit Romania’s construction industry harder than any other in central Europe: it is likely to lead the recovery. Romania’s construction industry was hit harder than any other in central Europe by the 2009 downturn, but there are signs of optimism. European Union funding is beginning to fall into place alongside major infrastructure plans throughout the country. Just three or four years ago, Romania’s construction industry was doing well: cement use alone reached record levels in 2008 at 600