Modernisation and restructuring agreement
China. Lafarge has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the government of Yunnan Province to further modernise and restructure the building materials industry in this fast developing region. The focus is on cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and plasterboard and will involve construction of at least an additional 10 mt of new cement capacity by 2010 by Lafarge Shui On, plus new plasterboard and ready-mix concrete plants as well as aggregate quarries.
   The aim is to accelerate modernisation of the cement industry, promote energy saving policies, advance the use of waste as an alternative fuel and develop new quality products in all the product lines covered by the agreement. Total investment is approximately $600 m.
   Taking into account capacity expansion programmes currently underway in the provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Chongqing, Lafarge Shui On’s total cement capacity in China is set to rise from a figure of 20 mt at the end of 2006 to 50 mt in 2012.
   Bruno Lafont, Chairman and CEO, Lafarge Group, said that all operations in the province would adhere strictly to Lafarge environmental standards in terms of emission reductions, waste heat recovery for power generation and quarry rehabilitation. Lafarge is also intending to take the lead in Yunnan Province in promoting safety and will invest in recruiting and training local talents.
10:40 29/11/2007

Emerging markets help growth
Global. Lafarge has announced record earnings for the first nine months of the year with the contribution from emerging markets increasing markedly, particularly in Eastern Europe and Asia, and with higher results posted in North America. The company also expects to achieve 60 per cent of its 2006 - 2008 cost reduction target by the end of this year.
   Emerging markets were responsible for an 11 per cent increase in sales and a 30 per cent increase in current operating income, and accounted for 45 per cent of the Group’s current operating income during the first nine months of the year.
   The Group is currently pursuing a plan to construct 45 mt of new cement capacity, 80 per cent of which is located in emerging markets, with new plants in Indonesia, China, India, South Africa, Zambia and Ecuador coupled to a programme to construct new plants in Uganda, Egypt, China and India.
   A new production line will be constructed at the Hima cement plant in Uganda, representing a total investment of around €77 m, increasing plant capacity from 350,000 to 830,000 t. Start up is scheduled in the first quarter of 2010. In Egypt, authorisation has been received to build a new production line of 1.3 mt per year, a project carried out as a joint venture with Titan with Lafarge investing around €75 m.
   The Group plan to modernise its Joppa, Illinois cement plant in the US involving a 2 mt plant which will start up at the end of 2010, with major emphasis on cost reductions. The modernisation is designed to enhance the plant’s environmental performance significantly in terms of alternative fuels and emission control and represents an investment of around €285 m.
10:20 12/11/2007

Market strategy pays off
Russia. FLSmidth is to supply a complete energy and environmentally optimised greenfield cement plant to Russia. Valued at more than €125m, the contract has been signed with LLC "Cement", new producer in the market there and member of the LSR Group, a leading Russian real estate company and building materials supplier.
   To be located near the town of Slantsy, about 200 km west of St Petersburg, the plant’s capacity will be 5000 t per day, equating to approximately 1.8m t per annum. The contract includes two crushers, raw material stores, raw mill, silos, kiln with four-stage preheater, cooler, two cement mills with FLSmidth MAAG gears as well as FLSmidth Ventomatic packing equipment. In addition FLSmidth Airtech will supply fabric filters and FLSmidth Automation a complete quality control and process control system.
   Also included in the deal is the electrical equipment package, transport of plant to the site and staff training. Equipment to be installed will be based on cutting edge technology and optimised for environmental protection, not only meeting Russian but also European environmental standards - environmentally and energy-optimised for the raw materials and fuel to be used in the production process.
   Group CEO Jørgen Huno Rasmussen said that the order confirmed FLSmidth’s strategy for the Russian market, partnering with Russian customers who wish to secure the future of their plants by using modern technology and environmentally optimised solutions. The company’s St Petersburg and Moscow offices provides the necessary base for maintaining this strategy and growth in the expanding market there. Plant commissioning is due in 2010.
20:16 08/11/2007

Multiple materials handling orders
Australia. FLSmidth Minerals has been awarded a contract to provide two mobile overburden handling systems to Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) for their iron ore mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Contract value has not been disclosed but equipment will be supplied by FLSmidth Minerals' subsidiary FLSmidth RAHCO Inc.
   RAHCO was acquired by FLSmidth Minerals at the start of 2007, providing the company with the capability to handle much larger projects than before - the Fortescue order alone is roughly three times RAHCO's total sales in 2006.
   The two mobile overburden handling systems are automated and capable of dealing with 16,000 mt per hour. Installation of the first system will begin in July 2008 with start up by the end of 2008 and the second system following four months later.
   Including this contract, FLSmidth Minerals has landed orders worth more than $200m for materials handling equipment over the past three months from global mining companies which include South Africa's Anglo Coal, Chilean Centenario Copper and Brazilian Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD). Highlighting the company's strengthened position, Group CEO Jørgen Huno Rasmussen said that FLSmidth Minerals had the ability to reduce mining company operating costs through a combination of long standing engineering expertise in minerals crushing technology and acquired materials handling technologies in MVT, Koch and RAHCO.
18:23 22/10/2007

Breakthrough in Russia
Russia. FLSmidth has signed a contract worth around €165m with the country’s leading cement producer Eurocement Group for its first modern production line.
   Machinery and equipment for the new 6,000 t-per-day energy optimised cement production line will be supplied, based on state-of-the-art environmentally friendly equipment. This replaces an existing line at the plant which is near Podgorensky in the Voronesh district, 600 km southeast of Moscow.
   The contract comprises a complete production line, including a crushing plant, raw material stores, two hammer dryer crushers, raw meal silos, a complete kiln with preheater and cooler, cement mills with gears from FLSmidth MAAG Gear, four cement silos, as well as a complete electrical equipment package. Training of the plant's personnel is also included in the contract, but local construction work is not.
   FLSmidth product companies contributing technology include storage equipment from FLSmidth MVT, dosing equipment from FLSmidth Pfister, control system from FLSmidth Automation and filters from FLSmidth Airtech. FLSmidth Ventomatic will supply a packing line as well as equipment for bulk loading of trucks and rail cars.
   Eurocement is estimated to produce one third of Russia's total cement production with its existing 13 plants and there are two cement plants in the Ukraine and one in Uzbekistan.
   FLSmidth Group CEO Jørgen Huno Rasmussen said that the contract was strategically important, the first made with the largest cement producer in the Russian market; a market where growing activity is expected in the coming years. Russia's GDP rose some 6 to 7 percent in 2006, leading to an increase in cement consumption which has been combined with a pressing need for modernisation of older production facilities. The production line is due to be commissioned early in 2010.
19:48 07/10/2007

Greenfield cement plant
Syria. FLSmidth has won a contract worth approximately €110m to supply machinery and equipment for a new 7,500 t per day production line to Syrian Cement Co, subsidiary of Egyptian-based Orascom Construction Industries (OCI). The new greenfield plant will be situated close to Syria's border with Turkey, some 500 km north of Damascus.
   The engineering, procurement and construction) project will see FLSmidth cooperating with OCI, with OCI's own construction division handling the construction work, which is not included in FLSmidth's contract. Equipment involved includes a crushing plant and stacker/reclaimer systems, raw mill, raw meal silo, kiln with preheater and cooler, two cement mills, cement silos and a complete electrical equipment package, electrostatic precipitators and fabric filters and a complete quality and process control system.
   The project also includes equipment supplied by FLSmidth product companies, including a complete cement packing system from FLSmidth Ventomatic, dosing equipment from FLSmidth Pfister and gear units from FLSmidth MAAG Gear. Stringent NOx, SOx and dust emission standards are to be observed at the plant and energy efficient vertical mills will be supplied for cement grinding.
   FLSmidth has already undertaken several projects with OCI in Algeria, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Libya. This latest contract is seen as a positive sign that the Middle East continues to show a high level of activity even after several years of capacity expansion in the cement industry. “This market is not at all likely to be saturated yet, and we will in the future see more orders coming from this region", commented Group CEO Jørgen Huno Rasmussen. Plant commissioning is set for mid-2009.
11:33 13/08/2007

Contract in Latin America
Columbia. FLSmidth has signed a contract, worth in the region of $100m, with Cementos Argos SA for a new 5250 t per day line and additional aftermarket services. Located in Cartagena, Colombia, the plant will serve both the local Colombian market and strengthen Argos' position as a leading Latin American exporter, the fifth largest cement producer in Latin America, exporting to 27 countries.
   FLSmidth's US project centre will be responsible for the project, supplying all main machinery, including a preheater with an in line calciner, kiln, cooler and vertical roller mills for finished cement grinding. Complete material handling systems, air pollution control equipment and an FLSmidth Automation control system will also be supplied.
   Engineering services, project management, training, and commissioning are also included. FLSmidth companies and divisions involved in the project include Pfister, FLSmidth Airtech and FLSmidth Minerals including FLSmidth MVT and FLSmidth Koch, with commissioning set for 2009.
17:43 09/08/2007

Minerals the key topic
UK. Efficient Minerals Handling and Processing is the title of a forthcoming seminar to be organised by the IMechE at their London headquarters on the 27 September 2007.
   The event will cover the key issues of energy savings, manning levels, reliability and environmental impact, all major considerations when operating existing materials handling plants and planning or designing new installations. There is a constant need for engineers in this sector to be informed of the latest equipment, methods and thinking to help improve performance and reduce environmental impact of mineral extraction and processing.
  Key areas to be dealt with include energy, covering: improvements in drives and equipment selection; control systems; modern methods of designing material handling systems; and efficient in-pit mineral processing.
   Environmental topics include: spillage control at loading and discharge; maintenance philosophy and condition monitoring; best practices in the industry; influence of current legislation; and developments in the design process and computer software.
www.imeche.org/events/MineralsHandling
21:53 03/07/2007

Cement production line
Spain. FLSmidth has won a €31m contract to supply equipment for a new 4100 t per day production line to Cementos Molins, Spain, the fourth of its kind for the client.
  It comprises a raw mill, raw meal silo and kiln with preheater and cooler. Equipment also includes a mill gear, supplied by FLSmidth's product company MAAG Gear, filters by FLSmidth Airtech and Pfister dosing equipment.
   The design is based on state-of-the-art environmental technology that complies with EU emission standards, with a production line that includes a calciner with low NOx and CO emissions. The line is the plant's sixth and is expected to replace the capacity of production lines 3, 4 and 5, all supplied by FLSmidth between 1962 and 1972. Commissioning is expected during the second half of 2009.
22:00 24/06/2007

First complete plant
Qatar. FLSmidth has won a contract worth approximately €168m to supply machinery and equipment for a new 5000 t per day cement plant for Gulf Cement Company, Qatar.
   The order is said to have been won against fierce international competition and involves a new plant to be built west of Qatar's capital Doha. It comprises a crushing plant, raw material stores, silos, raw mill, raw meal silo, complete kiln with preheater and Cross-Bar cooler and two cement mills.
   FLSmidth product companies involved include FLSmidth Airtech, Pfister and Ventomatic who are supplying filters, dosing equipment and packing lines. FLSmidth Automation will supply a complete quality and process control system, and the whole contract also includes supervision, commissioning support, training and spare parts.
   This is the company’s first contract with Gulf Cement Company, Qatar, a relatively new cement producer in the Middle East and only listed on the Stock Exchange in Doha in April 2006. The new plant will also be the first complete plant that FLSmidth will build in the country and is scheduled for commissioning in 2009.
13:06 12/06/2007

Order for kilns and dryers
Brazil. A contract worth over €72m has been awarded to FLSmidth Minerals by Anglo American Brasil (AABR) for the supply of two rotary kilns and rotary dryers for a pyro-metallurgical facility producing ferronickel at the Barro Alto laterite deposits located in the Goias state of Brazil.
   FLSmidth Minerals' Brazilian office will cooperate with the American technology centre on a project that involves two production lines, each comprising a complete rotary dryer/agglomerator system, and rotary kiln system.
   FLSmidth product companies participating include FLSmidth Airtech, providing electrostatic precipitators and bag filters, and Pfister, supplying coal distribution systems. AABR has particular expertise in the area of drying/agglomeration and the project will therefore be a joint development between AARB and FLSmidth Minerals in order to optimise the process. Commissioning is expected in 2009.
21:23 05/06/2007

Sale of majority stake
South Africa. Holcim has completed the sale of 85 per cent of its 54 per cent stake in Holcim South Africa to AfriSam Consortium (Pty) Ltd based on an enterprise value of 16.4 bn Rand.
  The transaction places Holcim South Africa as the leading black-controlled company in the building materials sector, with Holcim itself maintaining a 15 percent stake in the company and continuing to provide technical assistance.
   Holcim South Africa has a consolidated annual cement capacity of 4.1 mt, reporting sales of CHF 918 m and an operating profit of CHF 253 million in 2006, with a workforce of some 2,000. The company also has a 62.5 per cent interest in Tanzanian-based Tanga Cement Company and is involved in aggregates and ready-mix concrete businesses.
21:17 05/06/2007

John Pethullis (third from left) with ABP staff and other committee members

IMechE committee visits Immingham
John Pethullis (Portasilo), chairman of the IMechE’s Bulk Materials Handling Committee, recently joined other members of the committee for their regular quarterly meeting at ABP’s Port of Immingham, near Grimsby.
   The gathering kicked off with a presentation by members of ABP’s team, outlining the port’s development and providing an overview of the recently inaugurated Humber International Terminal 2 (HIT). Around £59.5 m has been invested in facilities and infrastructure for this new dedicated coal handling terminal, coming on top of the £35 m already spent on Immingham’s Outer Harbour project for Ro-Ro traffic. Emphasising its ‘green’ credentials, ABP has invested a further £3.5 m to create two new wildlife sites on the banks of the Humber Estuary to mitigate the loss of 31 hectares of mudflats as a result of the port’s development.
   HIT enables vessels up to Capesize to be dealt with, bringing with it volume increases in the port’s key coal, dry bulks and ro-ro trades. Capitalising on recent increases and projected long term growth in coal imports, the terminal was built following the signing of agreements with power-station operators International Power, Scottish and Southern Energy, Drax Power and EDF Energy, as well as mining giant BHP Billiton, providing the capability to handle around 9.5 mt of coal per annum. This has already paid dividends.

Aerial view of rail wagon loading facility

Coal is grabbed out by three Gottwald mobile cranes

Aerial view of stockyard

Contract for cement production line
Sudan. A contract worth more than €48m has been awarded to FLSmidth to supply machinery for a new 4,500-t per day cement production line. The contract has been signed with Aresco, an Egyptian company which is building the cement plant for Sudan-based Al Takomol Cement Company.
   Aresco, member of the ASEC Group, has previously worked with FLSmidth on building a grey and white production line in Sinai in 1999 and, more recently, building another grey production line in Sinai.
   This latest contract comprises all main machinery and engineering for the plant which is to be built at Atbara in northern Sudan, 200 km north of the capital Khartoum. FLSmidth's project management and machine construction will be undertaken outside the ocuntry.
   Equipment to be supplied includes a crusher, raw material stores, raw mill, silo, preheater and calciner, rotary kiln and Cross-Bar cooler, as well as two UMS cement mills and three packing lines.
   FLSmidth companies and divisions involved in the project include FLSmidth Airtech, FLSmidth Automation, Pfister, MAAG Gear and Ventomatic. Commissioning is expected in 2009.
19:21 07/05/2007

Acquisition of global minerals activities
Global. FLSmidth has signed a conditional agreement with the directors of Groupe Laperrière & Verreault Inc (GL&V), a listed Canadian company, to acquire its Process Division (GL&V Process), leading provider of separation technology for the metal and minerals industries. The agreement is subject to several conditions, including approval by at least 75 per cent of GL&V's shareholders and attainment of governmental approvals.
   GL&V Process, primarily comprised of companies Dorr-Oliver Eimco and Krebs International, world leaders in their respective fields, employs some 1,000 people and is expected to post a turnover of around CAD 523m for the last financial year.
   The acquisition is seen by FLSmidth as part of a global growth strategy for its Minerals activities - growing the Group's minerals business to the same magnitude and strength as the cement business and reducing long-term exposure to cyclical market developments. Marketed under FFE Minerals, FLSmidth Group's minerals interests will represent a substantially greater portion of the Group's overall activities, and the intention is to see increasing global integration between cement and minerals activities. With this in mind, the Group's overall minerals business will in future be marketed under the FLSmidth Minerals name.
   FFE Minerals and GL&V Process are considered to be complementary, both geographically and product wise, a fact demonstrated by several years of partnering in international projects: FFE Minerals an expert in pyro technologies and in crushing and grinding of minerals, with GL&V Process specialising in downstream separation processes. Together, their products represent one complete process technology from minerals extraction to end product. There is also synergy on the commercial side.
   FFE Minerals' main focus is on selling individual machine units, whilst GL&V Process focuses on aftermarket sales and service. Both companies will together have a strong presence in all the relevant global markets. The joint operation, FLSmidth Minerals, is expected to become a global market leader in crushers, mills, hydrocyclones, flotation, sedimentation, materials handling and calcination.
11:04 23/04/2007

Shares in Heracles acquired
Greece. Lafarge has acquired approximately 18.5 m shares in Heracles from National Bank of Greece for a total consideration of € 321.6 m, as a result increasing its ownership in Heracles from 52.7 to 78.7 per cent.
   Heracles is regarded as Greece’s largest cement producer, with a capacity of 9.8 mt per annum, operating three cement plants - Volos (the largest in Europe), Halkis and Milaki, and seven terminals. The company is also active in aggregates and concrete.
09:29 19/04/2007

Further acquisition for FFE
US. FFE Minerals, minerals processing arm of FLSmidth, has acquired the materials handling business of US-based RAHCO International Inc, a global leader in mobile conveying solutions. Valued at around $19.5 m, the transaction also includes RAHCO's sales, design and service operation in Chile. The company will trade as FLSmidth RAHCO Inc.
   RAHCO designs, manufactures and services bulk handling systems for the mining, aggregate and bulk solids industries, including mobile conveyors, radial stackers, portable conveyors, fixed/overland conveyors and at-the-face mining conveyors - the latter ranging from 200 - 10,000 tph and from 25 - 700 m long, offering alternatives to traditional mining methods.
   The move, combined with recently acquired KOCH Transporttechnik, positions FFE Minerals as a global leader in material handling solutions for the minerals sector, with the ability to offer large scale energy efficient mobile crushing and conveying equipment to mining operations. RAHCO’s sales are expected to surpass $20 m in 2007.
   Jørgen Huno Rasmussen, Group CEO, FLSmidth, said that expansion of the minerals operation had been identified as a strategic objective for the company and would help penetrate the growing oil sands markets.
18:16 03/04/2007

Greenhouse gas emission reductions
India. A Lafarge initiative in India that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has been registered as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) by the CDM Executive Board, meeting the framework established by the Kyoto Protocol.
   The project, at Lafarge’s Arasmeta cement plant in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, involves replacing a proportion of the clinker with fly ash, helping to reduce CO2 emissions and contributing to the elimination of industrial waste by recycling this directly in the cement production process. It is expected that this will result in an annual saving of 70,000 t of CO2.
   The initiative is the third CDM registered by the company, the three projects delivering a saving of around 160,000 t of CO2 per year. Other projects are currently under consideration. Lafarge are commited to a 20 per cent reduction in worldwide CO2 emissions per tonne of cement between 1990 and 2010.
   The projects have been launched within the framework of the voluntary commitment made by Lafarge in 2001 as part of its partnership with WWF to reduce worldwide CO2 emissions per tonne of cement by 20 per cent between 1990 and 2010. Efforts have already resulted in a 15 per cent reduction in the Group’s worldwide CO2 emissions per tonne of cement at the end of 2006, compared to 1990.
10:47 12/03/2007

Factories for China and India
Lafarge has announced that, as part of its joint venture with Boral, Lafarge Boral Gypsum in Asia (LBGA), new plasterboard factories are to be built in Chengdu, China and New Delhi, India.
  These represent a total investment of $28m and are expected to begin production in the first quarter of 2008, each with a capacity of nearly 10 m sq m. Located in the heart of fast-growing markets, the developments are aimed at strengthening the Group's presence in India and southwest China.
  Since its creation in June 2000, LBGA has established itself as the leading supplier of plasterboard products and systems in Asia (excluding Japan) and has manufacturing sites in China, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, exporting products to many other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Lafarge first moved into the Indian market in 1999, with the acquisition of Tata Steel’s cement business. This was followed by the acquisition of Raymond Cement in 2001. There are currently three cement plants in the country producing some 5.5 mt annually. In 2006, it was announced that the  Sonadih plant would be doubled in size and that a new facility would be built in Himashal Pradesh, taking total production capacity to 12 mt.
15:31 10/02/2007

Modern plant for CIS
Kazakhstan. FLSmidth is to supply a cement plant to Kokshe Cement, which is partly owned by East Energy Company (EEC) of Kazakhstan. Contract value exceeds €90m.
   The facility, which will have a capacity of approximately 2mt per year and be built 300 km northwest of Astana, the country’s capital, is expected to be operational in summer 2009.
   All essential machinery will be supplied with several FLSmidth companies and divisions participating in the project as equipment suppliers. Included are a crusher, raw material stores, raw mill, kiln with preheater, Cross-Bar cooler and two cement mills. FLSmidth is also to supply its largest clinker store to date which will have a capacity of 100,000 t.
   The contract includes silos, filters and precipitators plus a complete quality and process control system, Pfister dosing equipment and two complete Ventomatic packing lines plus training of customer personnel. It is the first time that the company has contracted to supply a complete facility in the country - the most modern and environmentally friendly cement plant to be built in a former Soviet Union country. Local civil works will be handled by the client.
   Group CEO Jørgen Huno Rasmussen said that the order confirmed expectations of growing cement industry activity in the former Soviet Union countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The company is actively pursuing the vast opportunities in this region, recently opening an office in Moscow.
11:03 05/02/2007

Production line for China
PRC. Lafarge Shui On Cement, the joint venture between Lafarge and Shui On Construction and Materials Ltd, has inaugurated a new production line at the Dujiangyan cement plant in Sichuan province in south-west China. The £58m investment involves a doubling of production, taking it to 3 mt from a figure of 1.4 mt.
   Dujiangyan, which supplies the city of Chengdu, is one of the most modern cement plants in the country and will meet strong growth in the local cement market. It also complies with strict international quality and environmental protection standards.
   China’s cement market currently stands at about 1bnt a year, representing half the world market. The joint venture has a total production capacity of about 20mt.
09:39 19/01/2007

Cement plant for Ireland
Eire. FLSmidth has signed a €52m contract with Irish Cement Ltd to supply a new 4,000 t per day cement clinker production line at its Platin Cement Works near Drogheda in the eastern part of Ireland.
   The contract, which covers all machines and auxiliary equipment, includes a raw mill, raw material store, coal mill, kiln with preheater, cooler and cement mill. Several FLSmidth companies and divisions are participating as subcontractors with FLSmidth companies Pfister and MAAG Gear supplying a coal feeder and gear units.
   The site's 'green' credentials are uppermost with engineering services and machinery supplies based on the latest environmental technology to ensure energy efficiency and to meet stringent emission requirements. The plant will also facilitate production of environmentally friendly cements with lower carbon intensity.
   The production line is the third one supplied by FLSmidth to the works and is expected to be operational by late 2008, . Originally built by FLSmidth in 1968, the plant was expanded by adding another FLSmidth production line in 1972. Irish Cement is owned by leading international materials group Cement Roadstone Holdings (CRH).
12:38 11/01/2007

Call for papers
UK. The Materials Handling Engineers Association is currently requesting papers for its forthcoming BULK2007 conference which takes place in Blackpool, UK on 26 - 27 April 2007.
   The subject matter for the event’s six sessions includes: Coal – a fuel for the future; Biomass – is cofiring sustainable; Mineral extraction processing and usage; Waste management; Clean air; and Supply chain management.
   The event culminates in a dinner for attendees and partners on the night of Friday 27 April 2007.
   Those interested in presenting a paper should send a 30-word synopsis to Dr Harold Wright at hw@mhea.co.uk. For earlybird registration please email quoting “Yes to BULK2007”.
16:07 30/12/2006

Acquisition strengthens presence
Europe. FFE Minerals, FLSmidth’s minerals processing arm, has acquired KOCH Transporttechnik Germany and KOCH Transporttechnik Austria, a world leader in materials handling systems and pipe conveyors. No asking price has yet been disclosed and the acquisition is subject to approval by the authorities concerned.
   KOCH designs, manufactures, markets and services a broad range of mechanical transport equipment and systems in the minerals and cement industries as well as in pulp and paper, and is well known for the transport of minerals such as iron ore and coal and its activities in the cement sector.
   KOCH Austria is currently handling pipe conveyors for the world's largest cement production line at St Genevieve, USA - a plant designed and under construction by FLSmidth. KOCH Germany is also completing the world's longest pipe conveyor at 8.2 km for Cementos Lima in Peru.
   KOCH's global reputation in conveying equipment application, design, and engineering will now be reinforced by FFE Minerals' direct operating presence in eleven countries. It is expected that a new materials handling technology centre will be created within the FFE Minerals Group. This will be headed by Heinz Känel, current general manager of MVT, who worked for KOCH for 18 years prior to his service with FFE Minerals. Sales for KOCH are expected to surpass €80m in 2007.
   FLSmidth Group CEO Jørgen Huno Rasmussen said that KOCH’s proven record as a supplier of materials transport systems and its technology, experience and strong brand name would stimulate growth in the minerals processing sector. KOCH already has numerous references in the cement industry, demonstrating synergies between FLSmidth’s cement and minerals businesses.
10:53 28/12/2006

Support for development in Russia and Central Asia
Lafarge is to renew its partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), extending the multi-project framework agreement signed between Lafarge and EBRD in 1996, which has already resulted in joint investments by the partnership in development projects in Poland, Romania and Slovenia.
   €70m has been committed by the EBRD for development of Lafarge’s activities in Russia, initially to modernise and develop two cement plants located in the Moscow and Tcheliabinsk (Urals) regions, with a total production capacity of 4 mt. This is the first time that the bank has invested in Russia alongside an international manufacturer in the cement sector.
   The renewal of the framework agreement essentially extends its geographic scope to include the countries of Central Asia. The bank’s maximum budget for investment in Lafarge projects in the region has also been increased to a total of €300m through to the end of 2009.
10:59 28/12/2006

$1.2 bn nickel project
Brazil. Anglo American has announced the approval of the Barro Alto nickel project in Brazil, valued at an estimated capital cost of $1.2 bn. This will produce around 36,000 t of nickel per year in the form of ferronickel with construction scheduled to begin in 2007 and production commencing in 2010.
   The deposit, located about 170km north-west of Brasilia, contains resources of 116.2 mt and will be mined by conventional open pit methods over a predicted 26-year lifespan.
   Part of the Barro Alto deposit is currently mined and trucked to Anglo American's Codemin plant for processing in existing facilities. This has successfully extended the life of Codemin and permitted an increase in production from 6,000 to 10,000 t per annum, allowing the facility to benefit further from the strong nickel price. Ore will continue to be transported in this way throughout the life of the newly approved development.
   The project at Barro Alto involves an extension of the existing open pit mine operation and construction of a new ferronickel smelter and refinery.
   Tony Trahar, CEO of Anglo American said that the project will contribute significantly to a potential doubling of the Group's nickel production to around 90,000 t per annum by 2011. Outlook for the nickel market is positive with strong demand continuing.
10:44 13/12/2006

Largest minerals order
Brazil. FFE Minerals, FLSmidth Group's mining and minerals systems arm, has won a $90m contract from Brazilian mining giant Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) to supply critical process machinery for a ferronickel facility. The $1.3bn Onca Puma facility, which will process ferronickel from lateritic ores based on FFE Minerals short kiln technology, is to be built in Paragominas state in northern Brazil.
   Project implementation will be a joint effort between the Brazilian office of FFE Minerals and its American head office. Principal machinery includes complete pyro systems with two rotary dryers and two of the world's largest rotary kilns, primary crushers and a complete coal grinding plant.
   Several FLSmidth subsidiaries will participate, including FLSmidth Airtech (electrostatic precipitators and bag filters), Pfister (coal distribution systems) and FLSmidth Brazil (electrical engineering for the entire pyro plant). The facility is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2008 and will feature optimised technology based on pilot plant trials undertaken at FFE Minerals USA test centre.
   Experience with short kiln technology and the fuel efficiency gained in two similar ferronickel projects is said to have paved the way for the contract award.
   Group CEO Jurgen Huno Rasmussen said that the project was the largest minerals contract to date for the company, and together with recent orders for lime reburning kilns in Indonesia and Sweden, brings the value of orders received by FFE Minerals in pyroprocessing technology over the past months to more than $120m. He added that the company occupied a strong position in the booming global minerals market, and, with increasing focus on complete project packages, FFE expects to strengthen its position in this significant market.
23:01 03/12/2006

International conference for Spain
Spain. BulkEurope, the international conference covering storage, handling and transportation of bulk, which takes place on 16-17 October 2006 in Barcelona, Spain, will provide an excellent opportunity for delegates to share and exchange ideas. 
  Renowned world experts will lead sessions covering: mechanical conveying; silo technology; pneumatic conveying; bulk material terminals; design and engineering; bulk handling generally; and processing technology. 
  The event is intended to provide a platform for plant managers and operators, design engineers, consultants, researchers, associations and all dry bulk materials handling specialists from end user industries, contracting companies, equipment manufactures, universities and government institutions to exchange both industrial experience and research. www.bulkeurope2006.com

FFE acquires crusher company
USA. FFE Minerals has acquired US-based Excel Foundry and Machine Inc, leading provider of spare parts and services to the mining and aggregate industries. FFE has also acquired the remaining 49 per cent of shares in sister company, Excel Crusher Technologies LLC. Total acquisition price is in the region of $30m and both companies become wholly-owned members of FFE Minerals under the FLSmidth Group.
   Excel Crusher Technologies designs, manufactures, and services the Raptor line of heavy-duty cone crushers and also provides repair, upgrade/rebuild and plant maintenance services for most makes and models of cone and gyratory crushers. Successful teamwork with Excel is demonstrated by the recently announced contract for 8 cone crushers for Fortescue Mining Group's Australian iron ore project.
   FFE has been in the crusher business for over 100 years with Fuller-Traylor gyratory and jaw crushers and, more recently, ABON sizers. The move further strengthens FFE’s position in parts and aftermarket services to the minerals processing industry. Excel will continue to utilise its foundry and world-class machining facility to support customers with its traditional line of parts and services whilst also providing focused manufacturing support for FFE Minerals' parts requirements.
Fri Jul 14 10:48:18 2006

Two contracts for new technology
Global. FFE Minerals has signed a contract for a complete grinding and flotation plant for the Konkola Copper Mines expansion project in Zambia. In addition the company has won an order for eight Excel 1100 hp cone crushers for Fortescue Mining Group's green field iron ore project in Australia. With a combined value in excess of $68m, the company says that the contracts validate acceptance of its latest technology.
   Konkola Copper Mines is owned by Vedanta Resources, a FTSE 100 listed company. The project includes design, engineering, erection and commissioning of a 6 mt per annum grinding and flotation plant including material handling equipment, four large grinding mills, slurry pumps, hydrocyclones, primary rougher and cleaner flotation cells, regrind mill and a complete control and monitoring system. The flotation plant will be completed in late 2007 and the grinding plant in early 2008.
   Vedanta Resources also owns the Lanjigarh Alumina project in India where FFE Minerals is set to complete delivery of two complete lines of alumina calciners and material handling equipment in 2006 for commissioning in early 2007.
   Fortescue Metals Group has purchased the cone crushers for its Pilbara Iron Ore and Infrastructure Project at the Cloud Break mine. This contract includes design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of eight 1100 hp cone crushers with delivery and commissioning by the end of 2007. The crushing plant will be one of the largest installations of its kind in the world.
   The flotation technology has been developed by FFE Minerals in-house, and the large cone crushers are based on the acquisition of the majority shareholding in Excel Crusher Technologies, which had already developed smaller cone crushers. "It is great to see the Mining Industry readily accept the new technology that we are developing for the market", said Group CEO Jørgen Huno Rasmussen.
Tue Jul 04 11:31:16 2006

Major upgrade project in Iran
Iran. FLSmidth has signed a €35m expansion and modernisation contract with Abyek Cement Co in Iran, owned by Fars & Khuzestan Cement Co, for a cement production line. Capacity on the line will be increased from 4,000 t per day to over 8,500 t per day with the upgrade expected to be operational by summer 2008.
   The contract includes a raw grinding plant featuring a raw mill, preheater technology, Cross-Bar cooler, electrostatic precipitators and a complete control and monitoring system. The upgrade is similar to a project FLSmidth carried out for a Polish customer and is the largest of its kind undertaken by the company. The work involves a pyro system originally supplied by a competing company in the 1980s.
Thu Jun 22 20:58:59 2006

Contracts for cement kiln systems
US. FLSmidth has won two contracts totalling more than $44m as a result of the upward trend in the US cement market.
   The first is for a cement kiln system for a new line at Essroc's Martinsburg, West Virginia Plant, designed for a production of 5000 t per day. Equipment to be supplied includes a 5-stage preheater, kiln and Cross-Bar cooler. Certain project engineering, management and commissioning services for the new system are also included.
   Key factors in the award are said to have been the customer's strict emission limits and the need to produce both normal and low alkali clinker. Essroc is part of global cement producer Italcementi Group, based in Bergamo, Italy.
   The second contract covers a new 3000 t per day clinker production line at Keystone Cement's plant in Bath, Pennsylvania. Equipment to be supplied includes a raw mill, 5-stage preheater, kiln, Cross-Bar Cooler complete with hydraulic roller breaker, and a blending silo. The system is designed to operate with a variety of fuels and fuel mixtures.
   Keystone is owned by Giant Cement Holding Inc, a subsidiary of Cementos Portland Valderrivas of Pamplona, Spain. All engineering and project management will be performed by Smidth's US project centre based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Mon Jun 19 14:22:29 2006

Clean coal energy alliance
Global. Anglo American plc and Shell Gas & Power International BV are forming an alliance in the area of coal conversion to clean energy. The aim is to maximise the benefits from this emerging field by taking selective equity positions in coal conversion projects. These projects will utilise the extensive coal reserves of Anglo American and combine its mining capabilities with Shell’s leading-edge technologies. The objective is to extract, gasify and then convert coal into chemicals, hydrogen, power, liquid hydrocarbons and other uses.
   By burning the synthesis gas generated by the gasification of coal, significantly lower quantities of greenhouse gases and pollutants are emitted compared to traditional coal burning, considered a cleaner way of harnessing coal’s energy potential.
  The alliance partners are currently investigating whether Anglo American’s Monash Energy Project in Australia can be incorporated into the programme. This project is exploring technologies that produce liquid fuels from unconventional sources, such as coal and initially envisages a coalmine, drying and gasification plant, carbon dioxide capture and storage and a gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant with associated power generation.
Fri Jun 02 12:30:53 2006

US cement contract
USA. FLSmidth has signed a $64m contract with Rinker Materials in Florida, USA for a new cement production line at its Brooksville plant. Smidth considers this to be another example of the upward trend in the US market.
   FLSmidth's US project centre in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania will handle the contract, supplying all main machinery, including a complete pyro system featuring four-stage preheater and low NOx and low CO2 calciner, kiln, cross-bar cooler and OK vertical cement grinding mill. Engineering and a complete automation control system are also included.
   Project design and equipment selection is said to have been driven by the need to minimise emissions and energy consumption and optimise life cycle costs, enabling Smidth’s R&D department to capitalise on recent achievements such as improved environmental technology, OK vertical mill and the newly launched energy efficient cross-bar cooler.
   Rinker expects more than a two-fold increase in production capacity to a total of 2mt of cement per year with commissioning expected in early 2008.
Wed May 10 17:49:16 2006

The future's biomass
UK. An action plan to unlock the potential for renewable energy in the form of biomass has been published by the Government. The plan accepts that energy from crops, trees and waste can make a strong contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sets out ways of making this happen.
   Measures include a capital grant scheme for biomass boilers; establishment of a new Biomass Energy Centre to provide expert information and advice, along with further grant support for biomass supply chains and a commitment to consider using biomass heating in Government buildings.
   The report was launched by Ministers from Defra and the DTI and forms the Government's response to the Biomass Task Force, which made a package of recommendations last October. The main argument, that biomass is suitable for generating heat, has been accepted by the Government, though the action plan makes clear that electricity generated from biomass and combined heat and power (CHP) are also an important part of the future.
   Lord Bach, Defra's Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food explained that biomass is not the answer to every issue but more should be got from this valuable resource.
  The strategy being developed will supplement initiatives such as the DTI's Low Carbon Building programme and the bioenergy capital grants scheme to further increase biomass technology usage. The aim is for 10 per cent of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2010 and double that by 2020, making biomass increasingly important in the UK's future energy mix.
Wed May 10 17:47:41 2006

Second contract for Libya
Libya. FLSmidth has signed a €144m contract with Arab Union Contracting Company (AUCC) in Libya for a new 5000t per day cement clinker production line.
   An expansion of an existing cement plant built by FLSmidth from 2002 to 2005, which came on-stream three months ahead of schedule in September 2005, the new line is 20 per cent larger and is expected to be operational by summer 2008.
   All machinery and auxiliary equipment will be supplied including a raw mill with MAAG gear unit, kiln with preheater and cross-bar cooler as well as two UMS cement mills, electrostatic precipitators and automation equipment. The contract also covers civil design, installation work and technical assistance plus three complete Ventomatic packing lines.
   Orascom, FLSmidth’s long standing business partner will provide steel structures and installation work.
Wed May 10 17:45:35 2006

Cleaner coal technology
UK. Government consent has been given for construction of a flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) plant at Scottish and Southern Energy's Fiddler's Ferry Power Station in Warrington.
   Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks said that coal and other fossil fuels remain vital ingredients in the energy mix, but there was a need to reduce the damaging effects of acid rain.
   The FGD chemical absorption process injects limestone slurry to remove over 90 per cent of the sulphur dioxide from the combustion gases and produce de-sulpho gypsum.
Wed May 10 17:42:36 2006

Cement plant for Mexico
Mexico. Lafarge is to double grey cement production capacity in Mexico with the commissioning of a state-of-the-art cement plant at Tula, near Mexico City. Inaugurated in the presence of the Mexican Minister for the Economy, the new plant was delivered four months ahead of schedule and represents a total investment of $120 m for an annual production capacity of 600,000 t.
   The plant is regarded as a record beater by the Group in terms of safety and is already running at close to full capacity, equipped with the latest technology and complying with the Group’s environmental standards. A range of grey cement products will be offered to the local market with white cement continuing to be produced at the Group’s nearby cement works at Vito, where capacity has also recently been doubled with significant improvements in product quality.
• Lafarge first entered the Mexican cement market in 1999 through its subsidiary Lafarge Cementos. The Group is in the Mexican gypsum market via a joint-venture with Comex (Comercial de Pinturas Mexicanas), with the ongoing construction of a gypsum wallboard plant, and is also present in the country’s roofing market through a joint venture with Boral.
Tue May 02 10:53:21 2006

Biomass alternative in Malaysia
Malaysia. Lafarge’s CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) project, which substitutes alternative, biomass energy sources for fossil fuels in two of its cement plants in Malaysia, has been validated by the CDM Executive Board - a project that follows the framework of Kyoto.
   Approved by both the Malaysian and French authorities it is thought to be the first scheme of its kind registered by the cement industry. It is also the second CDM project for Lafarge , the first being a wind farm, powering the Group’s Tetouan cement plant in Morocco, inaugurated last year.
   The Malaysian project involves the substitution of imported coal with palm kernel shells in the cement manufacturing process, a waste product of the country’s palm oil industry. This will account for over 5 per cent of energy used in the heating process of the plants’ kilns and is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 60,000 t per year. The waste product would normally be stockpiled.
   Lafarge is currently developing two other CDM projects, one in India and another in Brazil, part of the Group’s objective to reduce net CO2 emissions by 20 per cent per t of cement produced worldwide over the period 1990 to 2010. In 2005, Lafarge recorded a 12.7 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions, a figure that goes beyond the targets set by Kyoto under which industrialised countries (Annex I) must reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2 per cent during the period 2008-2012 compared to the year 1990.
• Under Kyoto, CDMs allow Annex 1 countries to implement emission reducing projects in developing countries in exchange for CO2 credits and industrialised countries are allowed to trade in ‘units’ to meet their emissions targets (each ‘unit’ equivalent to 1t of CO2 emissions)
Wed Apr 19 11:19:08 2006

Continued global growth
Global. Anglo American's announcement of continued strong growth in 2005 meant that many of the Group’s commodities enjoyed buoyant market conditions and record prices. For the company, China once again proved to be the chief driver of global growth, with the US economy showing resilience, and signs of a long awaited recovery beginning to emerge from Japan.
   During the year, the Group had the highest ever contributions from its base metals, coal and ferrous metals businesses, with record production achieved for nickel, zinc, niobium, zircon, coal, iron ore, vanadium, diamonds and platinum group metals.
Highest operating profit

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Anglo Base Metals has completed a number of capital projects in the past two years. In Chile, further copper expansion is under consideration at both Collahuasi and Los Bronces. A feasibility study at Los Bronces to examine a possible doubling of production is also underway. In Brazil a feasibility study for the $1 bn, 33,000 t per annum Barro Alto nickel project is well advanced and in South Africa the Namakwa Sands $43 m expansion project, to increase output of rutile by 26 per cent and zircon by approximately 20 per cent, is under way. Kumba, the Group’s iron ore producer, has a $559 m project to raise production by 10 mt to 41 mt per annum at Sishen, one of the biggest open pit mines in the world. Further growth, with an initial 3 mt per annum, is expected from the Sishen South project if given the green light. There is also the possibility of developing iron ore production at the Faleme iron ore project in Senegal.
Sun Apr 09 16:47:48 2006

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World's first zero emissions plant
USA. Anglo American is to join the FutureGen Industrial Alliance, which is developing the world's most advanced clean coal technology project.
   The alliance (currently consisting of eight major energy and mining companies who intend to contribute up to $250 m to the project over its lifetime) will partner with the US Department of Energy to design, construct, and operate FutureGen, the world's first zero emissions coal fueled power generation plant.
  The expectation is that the technology can advance clean coal technologies for generating electricity whilst producing hydrogen for fuel cell applications. Carbon capture and storage are integrated into the project, helping to address the issue of climate change.
   The 275MW prototype generation plant will gasify coal and the captured carbon dioxide will be separated from the hydrogen and permanently stored underground. Construction is scheduled for three years time and work is in progress to find a suitable site in the US. Full scale plant operation is expected by 2012.
   Tony Trahar, Anglo American’s CEO said that the company’s participation is complementary to its existing projects in China and Monash Energy in Australia.
Sun Apr 09 16:47:07 2006

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