Europe & CIS

This week marks the 5th anniversary of the Mineral Products Association (MPA), created in March 2009 by the merger of the Quarry Products Association, the British Cement Association and The Concrete Centre.

Steppe Cement’s wholly-owned subsidiary has completed commissioning of its new dry production line, which will increase its capacity by 1.2 million tpa.

ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions has received an order from Société des Ciments de Ain El Kebira (SCAEK) for the construction of a turnkey cement plant in Algeria.

New planning rules to be implemented for Northern Ireland’s mines and quarries; Markit/CIPS UK Construction PMI® indicates rise in staffing levels in the UK’s construction sector in February.

The UK Minerals Forum’s Working Group on Future Mineral Supply in the UK has published a report on the production and consumption of minerals over the last 40 years.

The Timken Company provides a case study from Romania in the second part of this abridged article on bearing selection and maintenance, which featured in the March 2014 issue.

The first Heatcatcher System is now fully operational at the Thrislington lime plant near Durham, UK.

The UK’s Mineral Products Association has signed a service level agreement to provide a wide range of management, administration and technical services to British Precast.

The Titan Group has reported a rise in turnover and operating EBITDA in 2013, driven by its continued focus on exports and the positive performance of its US operations.

A new report from Climate Strategies calls for reform in the European Union Emissions Trading System to incentivise the cement industry to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions.

Total cement sales volumes contracted in 2013 and 4Q13 for Holcim, although net income and operating profit improved.

HeidelbergCement has signed a new €3 billion syndicated credit facility with a term of five years to refinance the existing credit facility which would have expired in December 2015.

“We believe that 2013 represents the trough in our profits and that 2014 will be a year of profit growth,” said Chief Executive Albert Manifold.

‘It looks good and it does good’ is a simple explanation for why both designers and clients are increasingly turning to exposed concrete for its visual aesthetic and performance benefits reports Elaine Toogood, Architect at The Concrete Centre.

As the registration deadline for the second edition of the Quarry Life Award fast approaches, contestants and jury members from the previous year’s award discuss their involvement.