China: Shaanxi Qinling Cement Group is to buy a 34% stake in a waste management company based in Shandong. The transaction is valued at US$6.1m, according to Reuters. Following the purchase the cement producer will indirectly own a 90% stake in the company.
Ecoltec rebrands as Geocycle Mexico
Mexico: Ecoltec has rebranded as Geocycle Mexico as part of an exercise to unify the brand globally. The company will maintain its commitment to offer management solutions.
“We believe in a cleaner and healthier world without waste, a place where we can all reduce our environmental footprint. With Geocycle, we provide industrial companies and municipal governments with sustainable solutions for the proper management of waste,” said Miguel Ladrón de Guevara, Director General of Geocycle Mexico.
Geocycle, part of the LafargeHolcim Group, focuses on managing waste for co-processing at cement plants. The company has 2000 employees in 60 countries on five continents, which includes 188 co-processing facilities and 10,000 clients worldwide. It contributes to LafargeHolcim’s sustainable development vision, whose goal is to double the percentage of alternative fuels in its energy mix by 2020, which would mean a reduction of more than 30Mt of CO2 worldwide.
Awbud signs deal with LafargeHolcim
Poland: Awbud has signed a deal worth Euro2.85m with LafargeHolcim to build an alternative fuel warehouse and an office building. The deal follows another agreement signed between the companies for an ash-separation installation at Elektrownia Siekierki power station, in which LafargeHolcim has a 30% stake.
Morocco stops importing waste from Italy
Morocco: The Moroccan government has stopped importing waste from Italy following protests by environmentalists. The row followed reports in local media that Lafarge Maroc imported 2500t of solid recovered fuel from Campania, Italy.
The government first tried to calm tensions over the issue by pointing out that the waste is being used as a fuel, follows international standards and is not the first shipment of its kind. However, it then buckled to public pressure and stopped imports of waste pending an investigation. Morocco previously agreed a three-year deal with Italy to import 5Mt of waste to its El Jadida region, according to AfricaNews.