Lafarge Tarmac has celebrated a milestone anniversary at its landmark Dunbar plant, Scotland’s only cement manufacturing operation.
The Dunbar plant is one of East Lothian’s most enduring businesses and has helped build the equivalent of 6.5 million houses since it was founded. Many of its employees have been there for a large part of its life, with three 35-year long service awards also being awarded to current employees at the event.
Based in East Lothian, the Dunbar Plant marked its 50th birthday with a party for over 200 people, including past and current employees, plant managers and members of the community councils.
In a speech recognising the achievements of the plant, managing director of Lafarge Tarmac’s cement and lime business in the UK, Charles Law, said: “The Dunbar site remains a key part of our business as the only cement plant in the whole of Scotland. All those who have worked at the plant over the years are part of its considerable success story.”
Plant manager, Nigel Blair, led the commemorative speeches, and highlighted the investment that the plant has attracted over the years, first in efficiency and production potential, then for revolutionising health and safety and in reducing the plant’s environmental impact. Lafarge Tarmac has recently entered into an agreement with RSPB Scotland regarding the development of a former quarry as a nature and leisure facility. Referencing the deal, Mr Blair said: “We are delighted that one of the jewels in our crown in the future will be the legacy of the former north-west quarry. The management agreement we have recently entered into with RSPB Scotland will be critical in delivering a facility we can all be proud of, of pivotal importance to wildlife and the community.”
The Dunbar site started operations in 1963 and has benefited from some GBP100m of investment since it was built, including a highly efficient kiln and preheater tower and the GBP20m gas scrubber built in 2007, which has halved sulphur and dust emissions. The Dunbar plant has made significant inroads into reducing its greenhouse gas emissions in recent years by sourcing 20 per cent of its power requirements from the methane produced by a neighbouring landfill site, maximising use of its own raw materials, shifting significant numbers of vehicle movements from road to rail and utilising increased levels of waste-derived fuels that leave no by-product.
