Cement News tagged under: UK

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UK regulator demands domestic shake up

17 January 2014, Published under Cement News

The structure and conduct of the UK cement sector restricts competition, costing consumers around GBP50m annually, and therefore requires decisive market intervention, according to the conclusions of the two-year investigation by the UK’s Competition Commission published this week. The investigation did not, however, identify any problems with the markets for aggregates or RMC. The Commission’s report sets out a series of remedies it claims will increase competition in an effort to provide...

Cemex responds to CC report

15 January 2014, Published under Cement News

Cemex has responded to the Competition Commission’s (CC) final report into the aggregates, ready-mix concrete and cement market in Great Britain, saying that the CC’s conclusion that there is insufficient competition in the cement market is “incorrect and therefore the remedies are disproportionate to the alleged harm which is itself unproven.” The watchdog criticised current cement market conditions in the country, where Lafarge Tarmac, Cemex and Hanson are the three largest producers. ...

UK watchdog to force Hanson to sell GGBS production facility

14 January 2014, Published under Cement News

The UK’s Competition Commission (CC) plans to force Hanson to sell off one of its facilities as part of a move to introduce a fifth player to the market to increase competition. In its final report into the domestic aggregates, cement and ready-mix concrete markets, the CC said identified competition problems resulting from there being only one domestic producer of GGBS in Great Britain (Hanson) with exclusive rights to use the output of Lafarge Tarmac, the single domestic producer of GBS....

February restart for flood-hit Ferriby works, UK

10 January 2014, Published under Cement News

Production at Cemex’s South Ferriby works is set to resume in February – two months after the site was forced to close due to floods. A tidal surge on 5 December 2013 caused the River Humber to burst its banks, sending flood water throughout the village. The South Ferriby works, which stands a few hundred yards from the Humber, was one of the worse hit areas, swamped by millions of litres of water. Cemex has been committed to getting the 0.75Mta plant up and running again as soon as possi...

Hope Construction celebrates first anniversary

06 January 2014, Published under Cement News

Hope Construction Materials, the UK’s newest cement and concrete supplier, today celebrates its first anniversary having opened for business in January 2013 following the purchase of over 150 former Tarmac and Lafarge sites across England, Scotland and Wales. The independent company owns the UK’s biggest cement plant in Hope Debyshire with up to 1.5Mta of capacity. In its first year of operation, the company sold 1.3Mt of cement while concrete sales amounted to 2Mm3.  Today it operates fro...

UK: Cemex quarry expansion gets go-ahead despite opposition

19 December 2013, Published under Cement News

Cemex UK faces opposition to its plans to extend its Hyndford Quarry into a zone surrounding New Lanark, near the picturesque Falls of Clyde, Scotland. Campaigners opposed to plans to build a quarry next to the World Heritage Site have vowed to fight on after the scheme was given the go-ahead by planning authorities on the local council. The controversial scheme was passed despite opposition from community groups and the reservations of 20 members of the Scottish Parliament, who signed a m...

Lafarge Tarmac sweeps up at the Construction Marketing Awards 2013

11 December 2013, Published under Cement News

Lafarge Tarmac were the big winners at the Construction Marketing Awards 2013, taking home more awards than any other entrant at the prestigious event held in London last Thursday.  Nominated for seven awards in total, Lafarge Tarmac took first prize in three categories – Best Campaign over GPB25,000, Best Social Media Campaign and Best Mobile Campaign – beating stiff competition from major players including Knauf Insulation and British Gypsum. Lafarge Tarmac was also commended in...

Anglo American announces the sale of Tarmac Building Products to Lafarge Tarmac

15 November 2013, Published under Cement News

Anglo American Plc said it will sell Tarmac Building Products Ltd to Lafarge Tarmac Holdings Ltd, the 50:50 joint venture of Lafarge's and Anglo American's construction materials and services businesses in the UK. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals, and details are confidential, it said. Tarmac Building Products is a supplier of heavy building products, including construction blocks, bagged aggregates and cement products. The transaction may close in the first half of 2014.

UK: Hanson looks to recruit more staff, raise output

01 November 2013, Published under Cement News

Hanson Cement has said it is looking to recruit more staff and could see its production levels return to normal by the end of January next year as confidence in the UK’s construction industry recovery builds. The company has scaled back production over the last few years in light of the UK’s construction downturn. It operates two cement works in England – at Ketton in Rutland and Ribblesdale in Lancashire – and one in Wales, at Padeswood in Flintshire. The Lancashire Telegraph reported tha...

Global demand growth outlook downgraded

28 October 2013, Published under Cement News

A recent report by Morgan Stanley has lowered the growth outlook for global cement demand for 2013 to adjust for a changing economic landscape in emerging regions. Following economic updates by its analysts, which cut GDP forecasts for most emerging countries, cement volume expectations have been significantly trimmed in half of the world’s regions. The research house now expects two per cent growth in global cement demand in 2013 (excl. China) followed by 3.5 per in 2014 – marking the slo...