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Tag: Holcim

  • Holcim realizes a new concrete structure

    Holcim realizes a new concrete structure

    Holcim built the cantilever bridge called Bridge to the Future at its Hüntwangen plant. The company describes the filigree concrete platform for the acceptance of excavated material in a press release as “one of the most climate-friendly structures in the world”. This bridge was created in close cooperation with CPC AG from Andelfingen and the fiber composite materials ( FRP ) specialist group at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW ).

    For this bridge, the concrete slab technology from CPC was used and further optimized. The company, founded in 2013, produces particularly filigree, stable and durable concrete slabs and components that are reinforced with pre-stressed carbon fibers (carbon prestressed concrete, CPC) instead of corrosive steel. This can save up to 75 percent of material and thus also CO2. This technology was developed and patented in a research collaboration between the ZHAW and the Silidur company from 2010. As stated in the press release, Holcim has since acquired a stake in CPC AG “as proof of its trust in CPC technology”.

    According to the information, Holcim used its clinker-free cement Locarbo for the Bridge to the Future. Compared to conventional cement, this has 63 percent fewer CO2 emissions. From this, Holcim has developed a high-strength recycled concrete. Its carbon footprint has been reduced from 210 to 138 kilograms of CO2 per cubic meter.

    FVK supported Holcim with feasibility and load-bearing tests as well as statics calculations. “This project is a highlight for us,” says FVK manager Josef Kurath. The individual material properties are “reflected in a unique way and optimally used”.

  • Milestone for sustainable building is being created in Zug

    Milestone for sustainable building is being created in Zug

    The construction project for V-ZUG ‘s new production and assembly building called Zephyr Ost in the Zug Tech Cluster is the largest to date in which CO2-enriched concrete has been used. It is made from recycled concrete from the building materials group Holcim , which is enriched with CO2 using a neustark process. According to a press release , the construction work started on Wednesday. The building is scheduled to go into service in 2023.

    For this climate-friendly concrete, CO2 from Switzerland is being used for the first time. The start-up based in Bern and spun off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ) in 2019, neustark extracts the CO2 from the wastewater treatment plant of the ara region Bern AG .

    The recycled granulate for concrete production is processed by the recycling processing plant Arge EvoREC in Oberdorf NW. This is a joint venture between Holcim Kies und Beton AG and Zimmermann Umweltlogistik AG . The granulate is then carbonated by neustark using the dry process. The technology has been tested in the past few months and is now being used commercially.

    With the use of 4,200 cubic meters of recycled concrete and the binding of CO2, a total saving of 71 tons of CO2 is achieved compared to conventional construction. That corresponds roughly to the annual CO2 uptake of 3500 Swiss firs.

    “We are pleased to be able to come one step closer to our vision of climate-neutral and circular concrete production with the help of the innovative neustark process,” said Giovanni Barbarani, Head of Concrete Performance at Holcim Switzerland. “This project is a milestone on the way to sustainable building in Switzerland, also thanks to its regionality and short transport routes.”

    The Metall Zug Group wants to create “a new piece of the city for an industrial ecosystem” in the Zug Tech Cluster. Other industrial companies, start-ups, technology-related service providers, training institutions and apartments are also to be located there.

  • Holcim and Volvo develop sustainable dump trucks

    Holcim and Volvo develop sustainable dump trucks

    According to a press release , Holcim and Volvo Autonomous Solutions are working together to test and further develop self-driving “dumpers”, ie dump trucks, that run on battery-powered electric drives. Holcim has chosen its Gabenchopf limestone quarry in Villigen as the location for the joint project with the Swedish company from Gothenburg. The limestone and marl required for cement production in the Holcim cement plant in Siggenthal are grown there. According to Holcim, the plant, which has existed since 1912, is one of the largest cement plants in Switzerland and produces over 900,000 tonnes of cement annually.

    According to the Holcim announcement, the new electric and driverless dumpers mark a groundbreaking step. The world's first, commercially available, CE-certified electric and autonomous transport solution for the quarry and cement industry is being tested.

    The project shows a "sustainable transport solution that is commercially viable and reflects the technological changes in connectivity, automation and electrification," Nils Jaeger, President of Volvo Autonomous Solutions, is quoted as saying. And Simon Kronenberg, CEO of Holcim Switzerland and Italy, sees the joint project as “a further step towards realizing our sustainability goals”. According to the press release, Holcim has been using 100 percent renewable electrical energy at all locations since 2019.

    The tests and the possible use of battery-electric dumpers are part of Holcim's Plant of Tomorrow digitization initiative – the plant of tomorrow, according to the press release. Holcim tests automation technologies, robotics and artificial intelligence throughout the production process.

  • Holcim achieves record profit

    Holcim achieves record profit

    Holcim was able to grow strongly in the third quarter of the current year, according to a press release . Net sales rose by 12.9 percent to 7.29 billion Swiss francs. Recurring operating profit (EBIT) rose 6.2 percent to 1.53 billion Swiss francs, setting a new record.

    Holcim achieved strong growth in the North America region, for example. There, net sales rose in the third quarter by 27 percent to 2.3 billion francs. In the Middle East and Africa region, net sales rose by 8.5 percent to 653 million Swiss francs. In Latin America it rose by 8.4 percent to 675 million Swiss francs. Net sales in Europe climbed 8.4 percent to 2.15 billion, while those in the Asia-Pacific region rose 4.7 percent to 1.4 billion Swiss francs.

    Holcim assumes that the dynamic growth will continue in all regions. Firestone Building Products, the acquisition closed in late March, has net sales expected to grow double-digit in 2021.

    "The strategic reorganization of our portfolio is gaining momentum, with the divestment of our business in Brazil, the announcement of nine add-on acquisitions so far this year and the expansion of our Firestone GacoFlex range from Mexico to Colombia and Ecuador," said CEO Jan Jenisch in the Quote message.

  • Holcim wants to reduce marine litter

    Holcim wants to reduce marine litter

    Holcim , the subsidiary Geocycle and the German Society for International Cooperation ( GIZ ) want to jointly advance the circular economy in order to reduce pollution of the oceans. For this purpose they have entered into a partnership.

    According to a press release from Holcim, this strategic alliance focuses on reducing plastic and marine litter in India, Mexico, Morocco and the Philippines. Waste management is to be improved in the coastal communities there. It is also planned to set up equipment for material recovery. In addition, the partners want to start awareness campaigns and involve the tourism and hotel industries.

    The participating municipalities are to be involved in the collection of large quantities of plastics for recycling or co-recycling for energy generation. This should give employees access to the legal labor market, better wages and social protection benefits.

    Holcim already worked with GIZ and the Northwestern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences last year. At that time, the organizations jointly revised the guidelines for recycling waste in cement production. In the waste and cement industry, they are considered a reference document for safe and environmentally sound waste management.

  • Holcim sells stores in Brazil

    Holcim sells stores in Brazil

    Holcim is selling its businesses in Brazil. As announced by the company, the company is valued at $ 1.025 billion. It comprises five cement plants, four grinding plants, six plants for aggregates and 19 ready-mixed concrete plants. The buyer is the Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional. "This sale is a further step in our transformation into the world's leading provider of innovative and sustainable building solutions," Holcim CEO Jan Jenisch is quoted as saying. "It gives us the flexibility to invest in attractive growth opportunities."

    With this sale, the company's balance sheet will be strengthened and the level of indebtedness will be significantly reduced, according to Holcim. It took place as part of an optimization of the portfolio. The proceeds will be used for investments in the Solutions & Products division. This builds on the acquisition of Firestone Building Products , an American manufacturer of flat roof systems, at the beginning of January. This transaction was valued at $ 3.4 billion. As a first step, Holcim introduced the Firestone GacoFlex line for waterproofing roofs in Mexico.

    Despite the sale of the Brazilian business, Latin America remains a key strategic growth region for Holcim. The group recently invested in an additional clinker plant in Malagueño, Argentina, and in a new grinding plant in Yucatán, Mexico. In addition, the expansion of the company's own retail network in Disensa is ongoing.

  • Holcim wants to strengthen water resources and biodiversity

    Holcim wants to strengthen water resources and biodiversity

    According to its own statements, Holcim is the first company in the construction industry to commit itself to measurable positive effects on biodiversity and more ecological water management. At the same time, the group wants to bring more nature into the cities.

    According to a press release , Holcim aims to reduce the water intensity in all product lines by 2030. A reduction of 33 percent is to be achieved in the production of cement. It should be 20 percent for aggregates and 15 percent for ready-mixed concrete. The building materials company promises to replenish fresh water in water-endangered areas by 2030: 75 percent of the locations should be “water-positive” by then. In addition, Holcim intends to equip 100 percent of all locations with water recycling systems during the same period.

    Holcim also wants to achieve measurable positive effects on biodiversity. The group wants to orient itself on the reporting system for biodiversity indicators (Biodiversity Indicator and Reporting System, BIRS ) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN . Rehabilitation plans should be available for all quarries by around 2022. The BIRS principles for all cultivated areas should be fulfilled by 2024. In addition, the use of solutions such as the water-permeable Holcim concrete Hydromedia and green roof systems for more livable cities is to be accelerated.

    Eva Zabey, Executive Director at Business for Nature , praises Holcim for these ambitious goals. They could “lead to scalable changes both in the building materials sector and in industry as a whole.” All ecosystems and societies are dependent on such measures and obligations from companies.

  • Drone conducts measurement flights in cement works

    Drone conducts measurement flights in cement works

    An important milestone was reached this week at the Holcim cement plant in Siggenthal. After several years of research, the special drone from the Zurich start-up Voliro carried out its first official measurement flight campaign there. According to a press release, important measurements were taken to determine the steel wall thicknesses of the cement kiln and the cyclone preheater.

    Voliro, a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ), specializes in the development of flying robots for the inspection and maintenance of industrial plants. Your drones can be equipped with different sensors and carry out visual as well as thermal and contact-based measurements. A special feature of the drones is that they can rotate around all axes thanks to a special rotor system, which allows them to maneuver in vertical positions and even upside down. Thanks to the 360-degree design, they are also suitable for use when taking measurements on curved and inclined surfaces.

    According to the press release, the use of such special drones at great heights is considered a world first. The method saved both time and money. The use of drones also increases work safety.

    According to the information, Holcim has been accompanying Voliro's product development since 2019. The global cement company from Zug is making its infrastructure in Siggenthal available to the start-up for test flights and supporting it with its specialist knowledge.

  • Holcim launches CO2-reduced cement

    Holcim launches CO2-reduced cement

    With ECOPlanet, Holcim is bringing a green cement onto the market. According to a press release by the company, this causes 30 percent less CO2 emissions than conventional products. According to CEO Jan Jenisch, this will be the world's first cement that consists of 20 percent recycled construction and demolition waste. In addition to the use of low-emission raw materials, the CO2 reduction is achieved, among other things, by decarbonising the production process.

    ECOPlanet is already available in Switzerland as well as in Germany, Romania, Canada, Spain, France and Italy. In the current year, the product is to be launched in a total of 15 European countries. Holcim plans to double its market presence with ECOPlanet by the end of 2022.

    "In view of the increasing world population and rapid urbanization, solutions like ECOPlanet are of crucial importance to create greener cities and smarter infrastructure and to build more with less effort," Jenisch is quoted in the press release.

  • Nidwalden receives facility for recycling building materials

    Nidwalden receives facility for recycling building materials

    ARGE EvoREC has put a new recycling processing plant for building materials into operation in Oberdorf. This is to transform concrete and mixed demolition from the region into high-quality new building materials, according to a media release . Specifically, for example, concrete and mixed granules are to be created in different grain sizes, rock compositions and with different properties.

    ARGE EvoREC, a subsidiary of the Zurich based Holcim Kies und Beton AG and the Nidwaldner Zimmermann Umweltlogistik AG , wants to use the system to promote the circular economy in the construction sector. A large part of the recycled aggregate is used directly on site at the Holcim plant in Aennerberg for the production of recycled concrete. This closes the material cycle.

    According to Reto Zimmermann, CEO of Zimmermann Umweltlogistik AG, the new facility is not only a commitment to sustainability, but also to the region. "We receive concrete and mixed demolition from the Nidwalden market and process it into granulate for the local production of concrete – which in turn can be used to create new, sustainable structures in the region," he is quoted in the press release.

  • Holcim drives innovation from start-ups

    Holcim drives innovation from start-ups

    The Zug-based cement giant Holcim is teaming up with three young Swiss companies, according to a media release . The aim is to advance innovative technologies in the construction sector and promote sustainability.

    In cooperation with the Freiburg start-up Mobbot , for example, the integration of recycled building materials into 3D printing technology is to be promoted. Mobbot has developed the necessary 3D printing technology. Together with Holcim, it now wants to develop a concrete recipe that enables the use of recycled material in 3D printing.

    Holcim has entered into another cooperation with the Bern-based company Neuustark . The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ) is developing a technology with which CO2 from the atmosphere can be permanently stored in recycled concrete. For this purpose, liquid CO2 is introduced into the demolition material. As part of the collaboration, neustark is investigating the CO2 conversion potential of the demolition concrete recycled by Holcim. In turn, Holcim is optimizing the concrete produced by Neustark. Holcim believes it is possible to integrate the neustark solution into its recycling process in the future.

    The third collaboration between Holcim and the Ticino start-up company HeatNeutral has been agreed. This has developed an innovative combustion system that is intended to promote the decarbonization of production facilities. According to the information, the heating system works particularly efficiently and achieves an almost 100 percent combustion of fuels. This means that less fuel is required for the same output. In addition, the HeatNeutral system can also burn CO2-neutral oils such as vegetable oils, used cooking oils and biodiesel. Holcim is testing the solution in its concrete plant in Birsfelden BL.

  • LafargeHolcim becomes Holcim again

    LafargeHolcim becomes Holcim again

    At this year's General Meeting, the Board of Directors will propose that the name of the LafargeHolcim Ltd. in Holcim Ltd. to change, informs LafargeHolcim in a message . The aim is to increase the “efficiency and impact” of the globally active company and build on “the legacy of the group”. The various LafargeHolcim brand names will remain unaffected by the group's name change.

    The company, which was founded in Holderbank AG in 1912, had been operating under the name Holcim since 2001. After the merger with the French building materials manufacturer Lafarge, the group was renamed LafargeHolcim in 2015.

    In addition, the general assembly on May 4th is due to vote on the relocation of the headquarters from Rapperswil-Jona to Zug. This will complete the restructuring of the Group's office locations, which was initiated in 2018, writes LafargeHolcim.

    In addition, upcoming changes to the Board of Directors will be communicated in the notification. Its Vice President Oscar Fanjul has decided to resign, LafargeHolcim informs. Fanjul was nominated for the Board of Directors by Lafarge in 2015. He had "played a central role in the successful merger of Lafarge and Holcim and made a significant contribution to making the company the leading global provider of building materials and solutions that it is today," said Chairman of the Board Beat Hess in the press release.

    Jan Jenisch, who has been CEO of the Group since September 2017, is also to be elected to the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting. This serves to ensure continuity in management, explains the group.

  • Holcim supplies sustainable concrete for HSG Learning Center

    Holcim supplies sustainable concrete for HSG Learning Center

    The HSG Foundation is currently building the new HSG Learning Center on the premises of the University of St.Gallen ( HSG ). The general contractor HRS Real Estate AG has commissioned the Swiss Holcim AG with the delivery of the concretes. A new, more sustainable Holcim product, EvopactPLUS, is used in around half of the total of 6,000 cubic meters of concrete used.

    "With EvopactPLUS we close the building material cycle, conserve natural resources and save CO2," said Roger Dällenbach, Regional Manager for German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, in a press release from Holcim. The new type of concrete replaces natural gravel with a reclaimed aggregate from the region. It also includes Susteno, which, according to the company, is the "first and only resource-saving cement in Europe that uses mixed granulate from demolitions as an additive". This fine material is not used in conventional concrete production and must therefore be dumped.

    "Compared to an already optimized mass cement, the use of Susteno saves 10 percent CO2," the press release said. Regionality also plays a role: the building material is delivered from the Holcim concrete plant in St.Gallen, just three kilometers from the construction site. "It was an experiment for us because we were working with the product for the first time," Holcim foreman Marcel Kunz is quoted as saying. He is very satisfied with it, "it's a wonderful concrete."

    In the future, the modern building should focus less on technical learning than on learning the necessary skills such as critical thinking and self-reflection, according to the client, the HSG Foundation . It finances this project largely from donations from HSG alumni .