Europe & CIS

Volvo’s sales for 2Q14 fell 9%, as improvements in North America and Europe failed to compensate for weak demand from China.

Key figures in the UK waste industry met last week to discuss the issue of waste and recycling.

International Union for Conservation of Nature, in collaboration with CEMBUREAU and other partners, has developed the ‘Integrated Biodiversity Management System’ as a guide for cement and aggregates companies.

Italcementi’s self-cleaning cement was a finalist in the ‘industry’ category and took home second place in the Popular Prize, voted for by the public, at the European Inventor Awards 2014.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, the CEO of Holcim said that regulators are being formally notified of the companies’ plans to tackle antitrust concerns.

Eurocement’s Podgorensky plant, located in Russia’s Voronezh region, has achieved ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Certification.

The UK’s Breedon Aggregates Ltd has reported a 25% y/y increase in sales revenue and a 37% y/y improvement in underlying EBITDA in the first six months of the year to 30 June.

Holcim Croatia is reportedly looking to post flat revenues for 2013, however remains optimistic for 2015, hoping to raise revenues by 15%.

Coinciding with the company’s tenth anniversary, MVW Lechtenberg & Partner is hosting the 1st Alternative Fuels Symposium in Germany on 29 – 30 October.

A round-up of some of the key news stories from the cement sector this week, from the completion of new production facilities to acquisition announcements.

The value of new construction increased by 10.5% y/y in June 2014; the MPA supports HGV recommendation in House of Commons Transport Committee Cycling Safety report.

In May 2014, seasonally adjusted production in the construction sector fell by 1.5% in the euro area and by 1.6% in the EU28 compared with April 2014.

Refractory materials specialist, Magnezit Group, has commissioned its 100 000 tpa facility for the production of periclase clinkers, strengthening its presence in Russia and the CIS.

Turkey’s Sabanci Holding’s cement company, Çimsa, has acquired its local rival Sançim Bilecik Çimento, in a deal reportedly worth US$220.7 million.

A TEC Production & Services GmbH has been awarded a contract by Çimentas Elazig for the upgrade and efficiency optimisation of the preheater at the company’s Elazig plant in Anatolia, Turkey.