Lafarge announces revised completion date for its Ravena plant

Lafarge has announced the final approval of an extension agreement between the company and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The date of completetion for the new, state-of-the-art Ravena cement plant will be 30 June 2016. The revised date prevents a previously authorised plant shutdown, scheduled to occur by 1 January 2015, that would have negatively affected the employees of the Ravena plant.

As part of the agreement, Lafarge will:

• Invest US$1.5 million in projects benefiting the local environment.
• Make additional improvements to the environmental infrastructure at the existing Ravena plant.
• Adopt new, stricter emission limits for SO₂ and Hg.
• Set a new timetable to complete the Ravena plant modernisation project.

"To strengthen Lafarge's core market position in the Northeast, significant capital investments are being committed to the Ravena plant," said Mike Kralik, the Plant Manager at Lafarge Ravena. "Lafarge is focused on transforming the Ravena plant into an efficient, competitive, state-of-the-art facility equipped with advanced efficiency features that will enable the plant to compete successfully and meet the economy's need for high quality cement."

Lafarge will adhere to an updated schedule that will advance construction of a new kiln, kiln motors, preheater cyclones, and clinker cooler components needed to complete the modernised facility by 30 June 2016. At that time, the existing Ravena plant will be taken offline. The modernised plant will be equipped with new air pollution control technology to reduce specific air emissions, and with continuous monitoring systems to meet the strict new emission standards adopted by the EPA. In addition to the mercury emissions cap, under which the plant operates, the plant will modify its kiln operation schedule under the agreement, an improvement projected to further reduce other air emissions. The plant will also implement even stricter emissions limits to reduce SO₂ and Hg emissions by an additional 20% over the next three years.

Furthermore, the modernisation project is expected to help protect the 112 existing union and non-union jobs at the plant and create up to 800 temporary jobs during the construction phase.

Lafarge Ravena's product is being used for several high profile projects in the Northeast including the new Freedom Tower, World Trade Center Memorial in New York City and the Global Foundries plant in Malta, New York.

"Even under challenging market conditions, the Lafarge Ravena plant is supplying more than 1 million t of locally produced cement for construction projects of all sizes and in many locations throughout the region," said Kralik.

Adapted from press release by Rosalie Starling

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/20112013/lafarge_announces_revised_completion_date_for_its_ravena_plant_438/