Garadagh Cement presents new technology
Azerbaijan`s biggest cement producer, Garadagh
Cement, on Tuesday presented its new dry technology heating
facility at a groundbreaking ceremony attended by President Ilham
Aliyev.
Markus Akermann, Chief Executive Officer of Holcim Ltd., a Switzerland-based holding company, thanked the president for the Azerbaijani government`s top-level support for the project. He said that owing to the modernization work carried out at Garadagh Cement in the past 10 years, the joint-stock company has turned into an enterprise offering high-quality and innovative goods and services meeting both local and international standards.
Akermann said Garadagh Cement continues working to apply cutting-edge technologies, reduce environmental impact of its operations, while focusing on ramping up domestic production, and the construction of the heating facility is part of these efforts.
Dry production technology is considered the most advanced one in present-day cement industry. This technology is widely applied in Europe due to its advantages of fuel efficiency and a minimum impact on the environment. The new project, estimated at about $400 million, will be one of the most large-scale projects to be implemented in Azerbaijan`s non-oil sector.
The upgrade operations underway at Garadagh Cement are scheduled for completion in 2011. The installation of new heaters will allow boosting the plant`s output capacity by up to 30%. In addition to that, the use of the new technology will significantly reduce the discharge of pollutants into the air.
The Garadagh Cement plant was commissioned in 1951. Holcim privatized the open joint-stock company in 1999. The Swiss cement maker holds 69.6% in the OJSC, while the Azerbaijan Investment Company (AIC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) hold 10% stakes each. The remaining 10.4% of the stock is owned by about 1,000 private individuals.
Holcim, which owns cement- and concrete-producing enterprises in more than 70 countries, is the top-ranking business in the construction materials sector. According to the Dow Jones sustainability index, the company has been the Industry Leader for four consecutive years.
Markus Akermann, Chief Executive Officer of Holcim Ltd., a Switzerland-based holding company, thanked the president for the Azerbaijani government`s top-level support for the project. He said that owing to the modernization work carried out at Garadagh Cement in the past 10 years, the joint-stock company has turned into an enterprise offering high-quality and innovative goods and services meeting both local and international standards.
Akermann said Garadagh Cement continues working to apply cutting-edge technologies, reduce environmental impact of its operations, while focusing on ramping up domestic production, and the construction of the heating facility is part of these efforts.
Dry production technology is considered the most advanced one in present-day cement industry. This technology is widely applied in Europe due to its advantages of fuel efficiency and a minimum impact on the environment. The new project, estimated at about $400 million, will be one of the most large-scale projects to be implemented in Azerbaijan`s non-oil sector.
The upgrade operations underway at Garadagh Cement are scheduled for completion in 2011. The installation of new heaters will allow boosting the plant`s output capacity by up to 30%. In addition to that, the use of the new technology will significantly reduce the discharge of pollutants into the air.
The Garadagh Cement plant was commissioned in 1951. Holcim privatized the open joint-stock company in 1999. The Swiss cement maker holds 69.6% in the OJSC, while the Azerbaijan Investment Company (AIC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) hold 10% stakes each. The remaining 10.4% of the stock is owned by about 1,000 private individuals.
Holcim, which owns cement- and concrete-producing enterprises in more than 70 countries, is the top-ranking business in the construction materials sector. According to the Dow Jones sustainability index, the company has been the Industry Leader for four consecutive years.
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