HeidelbergCement’s subsidiary, Ciments Calcia has presented the draft terms of a large-scale investment and reorganisation programme for several of its sites in France.
The programme comprises investments of around EUR400m, of which nearly EUR300m is earmarked for the Airvault plant alone.
Elsewhere, the company will convert its facility in Gargenville, Yvelines, into a modern grinding unit and shut down the kiln system and quarry operations. This adjustment is expected to enhance the sustainability of the site, which supplies the Parisian basin via inland waterways.
White cement production at the Cruas site in Ardèche will also be shut down. Instead, the facility will be converted into an automated cement terminal for the distribution of white cement.
The company will also review the organisation of its headquarters in Guerville, Yvelines, and adapt it with regards to the company’s transformation.
"As part of our global business excellence initiative, we intend to further optimise the effectiveness, process and structure of our French sites," says Dr Dominik von Achten, Chairman of the Managing Board. "We want to considerably speed up the modernisation of our plants in order to enhance our performance in France, while ensuring alignment with the goals of the Paris agreement. This is why we focus our initiatives on the main CO2-emitting plants in France."
The reorganisation will result in the reduction of 162 jobs and the creation of 20 new jobs.
