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Cement demand in Germany will not grow in 2012, according to national cement industry association Verein Deutscher Zementwerke (VDZ). In 2011, demand for cement grew more than 13%. Turnover of cement producers grew 7.4% in the first eleven months of 2011.

Lafarge’s energy consumption from waste rose to 15% last year, compared to 11.7% in 2010. The French construction materials group has spent several years trying to reuse low-cost waste including old tyres, plastic products, oil and biomass, as an energy resource, with a dedicated subsidiary in charge of collection and processing.

Steinbeis Papier Glückstadt is investing in a state-of-the-art industrial power plant in Germany and using some hi-tech ready mixed concrete to meet the demands of the project. More than 6500m3 of ready mixed concrete is being used to build the new power generation plant in Glückstadt

Energy supply is a challenging issue for modern industry and one paper manufacturer is building its own energy generation plant with combined heat and power (CHP) in a bid to become independent. But taking this step at t

A decrease in aggregates markets during the recession has resulted in more than 100 pits and quarries closing over the last two years. This is one of the conclusions of marketing consultant BDS Marketing’s latest annual report on the sector. The company has identified 35 sites that have closed over the last year, in addition to more than 65 sites closed in the year before. Volumes improved by just 1% in 2010. This appears to have stemmed some of the closures, says the report. “Some will have closed through

Dyfrig James, regional president for Northern and Central Europe for Lafarge’s Aggregates, Concrete and Paving business, has been appointed chairman of the UK Mineral Products Association for the next two years. He will be MPA’s third chairman, taking over from Patrick O’Shea. Nigel Jackson, chief executive MPA, paid tribute to O'Shea's work throughout his term, saying: “Positive feedback about Patrick has been received from members from all around the country. Members have appreciated the effort Patrick ma

HeidelbergCement has secured an extension of its €3 billion syndicated credit facility, which was due to mature at the end of 2013, until 31 December, 2015. All 17 original lenders have confirmed their participation and two additional lenders joined the syndicate. The €3 billion multi-currency credit facility is intended as liquidity back-up and can be used for cash drawings and guarantees.

World demand for cement and concrete additives is projected to increase 8.35% annually to US$15.8 billion in 2015, a significant improvement over the performance of the 2005-2010 period. During that timeframe, sluggishness or outright declines in many of the larger, more additive-intensive markets, chiefly the United States, but also Italy, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom, partially offset stellar gains in Brazil, China, India and numerous smaller markets.

Wheeled loaders provide an efficient loading solution both at the quarry face and in the loading yard. ABE takes a look at the changing technology
The wheeled loader is a true quarry workhorse - it can provide productive truck loading at the quarry face or directly feed a mobile crusher hopper, as well as work in the loading yard. The addition of parallel linkage options on many models opens up a range of attachments that means the wheeled loader can also prove to be an effective house keeping tool.

Whi

Wheeled loaders provide an efficient loading solution both at the quarry face and in the loading yard. ABE takes a look at the changing technology
The wheeled loader is a true quarry workhorse - it can provide productive truck loading at the quarry face or directly feed a mobile crusher hopper, as well as work in the loading yard. The addition of parallel linkage options on many models opens up a range of attachments that means the wheeled loader can also prove to be an effective house keeping tool.

Whi

The UK asphalt market increased by over 5% in 2010 but the market has already started to turn lower, claims industry experts BDS Marketing Research, which is forecasting volumes to be around 1% lower in the current year. “Decline is expected to set in over the next two years. Volumes could fall by up to 15% by 2013. The main reason is the lack of new road schemes in the pipeline, once current road projects are completed,” says the company. “However, this downturn is less than previously feared. Original res

The upgrading of Lunsin Mining Company’s Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk cement plant is under way. The Russian plant, launched in 2011, produced 7,000 tons of cement in its first year. Production is set to resume in March 2012. Following its upgrade, output is forecast to rise dramatically to10,000 to 12,000tonnes per month.

German building materials manufacturer HeidelbergCement has secured an extension of its €3bn syndicated credit facility. The facility has been extended until 31 December, 2015, having been due to mature at the end of next year. All 17 original lenders have confirmed their participation and two additional lenders have joined the syndicate. The €3bn multi-currency credit facility is earmarked for liquidity back-up and can be used for cash drawings and guarantees.

Latest figures from Cemex show that the company’s consolidated net sales increased by 6% during the fourth quarter of 2011 to approximately US$3.7billion and increased 8% for the full year to $15.1billion versus the comparable periods in 2010. Operating EBITDA increased by 13% during the fourth quarter of 2011 to $542million and increased 1% for the full year to $2.3billion versus 2010.

Vicat achieved a 12.5% rise in consolidated sales in 2011, according to new figures published by the French building materials group. Expansion in Kazakhstan and India, solid financial position, and benefits of the Performance 2010 plan will, claim Vicat, help continue its growth strategy in 2012. However, the Group say the outlook is not so bright in a number of other markets including Egypt, the US, Italy and France.

Lafarge is axing 460 jobs as part of a reorganisation of its worldwide corporate division. The French building material group says 90 of the job losses will be in France, where the company has set up a voluntary redundancy scheme in the hope of minimising compulsory redundancies. The industry giant says the reorganisation will accelerate its development through organic growth and innovation, and better meet its markets' and customers' requirements.

According to Infocemento figures, cement consumption in Spain totalled 14.5million tonnes during the first eight months of 2011, which represents a 13.3% decrease compared to the same period in 2010. Cement production in this period dropped 12.4% to 15.7million tonnes, while exports remained at similar levels to 2010 (2.7million tonnes) and imports dropped 37.6%. Figures for August 2011 alone show that consumption dropped 16.5% to 1.7million tonnes, and production went down 23.5% to 1.8million tonnes.

Switching the tyres on its loading and hauling fleet to Michelin's premium tyres has boosted the operation of Hills Quarry Products. No matter how much money is invested in new loading and hauling equipment in quarries, if the tyres are not up to the terrain then the full advantages will not be delivered. One UK-based quarry group that made the decision to upgrade the tyres used by its whole fleet has been reaping the benefits with fewer tyre related breakdowns.

Overall Sandvik's business was stable in the fourth quarter with good performance especially in Sandvik Tooling but also in Sandvik Mining and Construction. This is the view of Sandvik's President and CEO Olof Faxander who was talking about the group’s interim report on the fourth quarter and full-year 2011.

At the end of January less than 40% (37) of the mineral planning authorities in England had adopted a Core Strategy. The Minerals Products Association (MPA) is warning that this is a particularly dangerous time for authorities not to be providing an incentive for investment in new operations. “With the full effects of the Localism Act still to be evaluated and the arrival of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) awaited with some concern, we know that this is an uncertain time for planners,” said Ni

Grupo Pinfra hopes to further improve productivity in its Mexican quarries with its latest mobile machinery acquisitions. Mexico-based Grupo Pinfra was one of the country's first aggregate producers to invest in mobile crushing and screening equipment. Twenty years on, the company is still confident that mobile equipment is key to meeting demand and has just expanded its fleet.

In 1991, Pinfra took delivery of two Metso Minerals Lokotrack LT125 mobile crushers and these have now clocked up 30,000 working