WORLD CEMENT

May 2015

May 2015

Efficient
solutions for
bagging
cement
Mondis innovative
industrial bag solutions
are optimised for
high-speed filling needs
and fulfill even your
toughest requirements.

www.worldcement.com

IN TOUCH EVERY DAY

www.mondigroup.com

For more than a century, vertical roller mills have been used in the cement industry. For grinding
cement raw material and coal these machines have long surpassed all other types of pulverizing
machines.
For nearly 25 years, vertical roller mills have also been in operation in the cement industry for grinding
cement and have been proven as innovative technology in many regions in the world.
Due to ITALCEMENTIs extremely good experience with the performance of the LOESCHE mills, they
placed another order for a LOESCHE vertical roller mill type LM 48.4 for grinding cement raw material
at a capacity of 320 tph. Furthermore, a hot gas generator type LOMA LF 31 was part of the project.
Loesche vertical roller mills are ideally designed for such demands, guaranteeing a quick and simple
changeover from one product to another and at the same time ensuring an energy efficient production
for all cement types required.
For this Bulgarian cement plant with a vertical roller mill for cement raw material the client relies once
again on the latest technology of the pioneer in grinding technology - Loesche GmbH.

For more information

visit: www.loesche.com

LOESCHE GmbH
Hansaallee 243
40549 Dsseldorf, Germany

LOESCHE
TRADITION AND INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING

Intelligent refractory technology

for the cement industry worldwide.
Refratechniks shaped and unshaped products give the required
technological edge to your refractory equipment: outstanding
chemical, mechanical and thermal characteristics, and excellent
refractory engineering, installation and aftersales services.
Benefit from our experience refractories matched to your needs.

Refratechnik Cement GmbH

Rudolf-Winkel-Strasse 1
37079 Gttingen
Germany
Phone +49 551 6941 0
refra@refra.com
www.refra.com

CONTENTS

MAY

WORLD CEMENT REGULARS

57

05 Comment

44

09 News
19 The Concrete Initiative: Solutions for Europes Future
Koen Coppenholle, Chief Executive of CEMBUREAU.
109 Product News
112 Regional Report Infographic

REGIONAL REPORT: AFRICA AND THE

MIDDLE EAST
24 Savannah Cement: Streamlined
Brian Wamwenje, ICT Manager at Savannah Cement, Kenya.
29 Sustained Growth
Ahmed Methlouthi, Ministry of Trade, Tunisia.

69 Bagging & Packing Round-up

News from Windmller & Holscher and Haver & Boecker.

32 Energy Crisis in the Egyptian Cement Sector

Ibrahim Ismail, Hesham E. Abdel Hafiez, Asmaa S. Hamouda
and Ahmed Soliman.

71 Premium Packaging
Graham Rawlings, Concetti SpA, Italy.

39 Alternative Fuels in the Arab World

Dirk Lechtenberg, MVW Lechtenberg, Germany.

77 Cement Silo Optimisation

Peter King, Australian Silo Clean, Australia.

WORLD CEMENT PLANT TOUR

44 Plant Tour: Devnya Cement
Louise Fordham visited Italcementis Devnya Cement plant.

BAGGING & PACKING

STORAGE SOLUTIONS

81 Bulk Materials Management

Robin Shepherdson, Scale-Tron, Canada.
85 Assuring Accuracy
Armin Waibel, UWT GmbH, Germany.
89 Experience for Good Measurement
Graham McGregor, Siemens AG, Canada.

57 A Compact System for Croatia

Andre Tissen, Beumer Group, Germany.
62 Scaling Up: Sacks and Skills
Sigrid Eder, Starlinger & Co. GmbH, Austria.
67 Transforming Product Perception
David Khanna, Commercial Director, bpi.visqueen, UK.

MILLS
95 Good Vibrations
Karl S. Gugel, Ph.D., Digital Control Lab, LLC, USA.
101 Modern and Energy Efficient
Wang Xuemin, Wang Qianqian and Chen Daiyan,
CNBM (Hefei) Powder Technology Equipment Co., Ltd, China.

WORLD CEMENT

REFRACTORIES

May 2015

105 Total Recall

Roberto Ebrase, Eldir System, Italy.

May 2015

Efficient
solutions for
bagging
cement
Mondis innovative
industrial bag solutions
are optimised for
high-speed filling needs
and fulfill even your
toughest requirements.

www.worldcement.com

IN TOUCH EVERY DAY

www.mondigroup.com

World_Cement_Cover_IB_2015.indd 1
OFC_WCT_May-2015.indd 1

10.04.15 12:14
22/04/2015 12:39

THIS MONTHS COVER

Mondi Industrial Bags, a business segment of Mondis Europe &
International Division, is the leading international producer of industrial
paper bags, selling around 5 billion bags per year. Thanks to its broad
range of bag specifications, Mondi Industrial Bags serves major industries
including cement and building materials, chemicals, food, feed and seed.
The business segment operates a dense sales and service network,
the specialised filling equipment department Natro Tech, as well as its
Bag Application Centre, where researchers develop and test innovative
packaging solutions.
Palladian Publications Ltd
15 South Street, Farnham, Surrey
GU9 7QU, ENGLAND

Volume 46: Number 5

Tel +44 (0)1252 718999

Fax +44 (0)1252 718992

ISSN 02636050

Email: mail@worldcement.com
Website: www.worldcement.com

May 2015

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COMMENT

MAY

Katherine Guenioui, Editor

katherine.guenioui@worldcement.com
According to recent reports,
the China Refractory
Association is expecting
Chinese demand for refractory
to decline over the next two
to three years. Output for
2014 was 27.972 million t. By
2017, the China Refractory
Association is expecting that
to fall to 24 million t.
A decline in domestic
demand makes sense in an
environment of increasing
emissions regulations and
slowing industrial growth. If you were to draw a Venn
diagram of energy-intensive industries subject to
environmental regulations and end-users of refractory,
it could well be mistaken for a circle. And, of course,
the refractory industry itself is energy-intensive and
has fallen foul of the same over-development that has
driven consolidation (and, in some cases, demolition)
in the Chinese cement industry. Earlier this year, the
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)
launched standard conditions for the refractories
industry that include requirements for production
layout, energy efficiency, quality management, and so
on. Like cement producers, refractory manufacturers
are being encouraged to relocate, consolidate and
control capacities. While a burgeoning export market
(up more than 12% in 2014) will help ease the burden of
overcapacity, modernisation and efficiency measures will
need to be taken to meet environmental standards.

China is not alone in experiencing falling sales.

Worldwide, refractory demand has been steadily
declining in line with the drop in industrial production
associated with the global economic crisis. As demand
returns, there are some indications that users are
turning towards higher quality refractory products
with a view to their own process quality as well as a
more cost-conscious, cautious approach. In the cement
industry, where the cost of refractory on a per tonne
basis is relatively minimal compared to, say, the steel
industry, reliability is equally essential. The pressures
of new and various alternative fuels and raw materials
require the refractory industry to develop more resilient
products in response. No doubt all these topics will be
on the table at the UNITECR Congress in Vienna later
this year, which World Cement will be covering in our
September issue.
It is interesting that while in China industry is stepping
away from coal, other countries are stepping towards it.
This is notably the case in Africa and especially in Egypt,
where a shortage of gas has forced the government
to permit cement producers to use coal. Since that
announcement, several contracts have been announced
with major mill manufacturers (see one such example
on page9) as cement producers rush to make up for lost
production time. More on this topic, and on the growth
of alternative fuels in Egypts cement industry, is included
in this months regional report, which has an energy focus
(see page 32). We hope, as ever, that the articles included
in this issue help you make the most of your process.
Share your stories by emailing me on the address above or
by joining our LinkedIn groups.

CONTACT DETAILS

SUBSCRIPTIONS

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tom.fullerton@worldcement.com

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joseph.green@worldcement.com

Contributing Editor: Paul Maxwell-Cook

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WORLD NEWS

MAY

Thailand Holcim divests stake in

Siam City Cement Company

South Africa PPC and AfriSam

merger will not go ahead

Holcim has sold its remaining share in Siam City

Cement (Public) Company Limited (SCCC) via a private
placement in capital markets. For its 27.5% minority
stake, Holcim will receive a total consideration of around
CHF655 million, resulting in a gain of approximately
CHF365 million before taxes.
A member of a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, the
Jardine Matheson Group, has purchased 24.9% of the
shareholding and the other 2.6% has been acquired by
several institutional investors.
SCCC operates the 14.5 million tpy Saraburi cement
plant and achieved net sales of THB31.86 billion last year.

The proposed PPC and AfriSam merger will not proceed.

South Africas PPC announced receipt of a conditional,
non-binding merger proposal from AfriSam at the end
of 2014, which was followed by extensive discussions
between the two companies and consideration of the
proposal by PPCs Board. On 27 March, a statement on
the merger proposal announced that: The parties have
not been able to reach consensus on the terms of the
merger and therefore have terminated their discussions.
PPC has said that it will continue with its strategy to
strengthen its position in the Southern African market
and expand into other African countries.

Egypt Fives classifier selected

for Ain Sokhna plant

Asia-Pacific Sika establishes

subsidiary in Myanmar

Fives will provide a new high efficiency separator for

a petcoke grinding unit at Lafarge Egypts Ain Sokhna
plant. The unit is being converted from an open to closed
circuit by Imsat (Romania).
The FCB TSV Classifier will enable the grinding unit
to produce 90 tph of pulverised petcoke at R 90 m 5%.
This will help Lafarge Cement Egypt to transition from the
conventional fuel currently used in the pyroprocess at the
plant to petcoke utilisation, which will enhance Lafarges
ability to mitigate energy supply issues in the country.
The classifier selected for the plant is part of the
4000 MF series, with 90 kW installed power. It has an
outer dia. of 4 m and will provide a nominal cut size of
60 m, corresponding to the d80 of the finished product.

Sika has expanded its footprint in Asia-Pacific with

the establishment of a subsidiary in Myanmar.
Although the company has supplied the market
in Myanmar through imports from neighbouring
countries for some time, Sika Myanmar will further
strengthen its presence in the country and enable
it to better serve the regions growing construction
sector.
The new subsidiary forms part of Sikas growth
strategy, which includes an increased presence in
emerging markets. In line with this, the company
has also opened a new concrete admixture plant in
Sri Lanka. Located in Ekala, the facility will produce
high-end additives for the local construction industry.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

New cement terminal to be built at the Port of

Mumbai

In the spotlight: health and safety

US cement plants recognised for environmental

excellence

US GHG emissions have fallen 9% since 2005

To read more about these

articles go to:

May 2015
World Cement

/9

Saudi Arabia Siwertell unloader will handle white cement at Port of

Dammam

Siwertell road mobile unloader. (Photo courtesy of Siwertell.)

Siwertell has supplied a 5 000 S road mobile

unloader to the cement division of the
Rashed Al-Rashed & Sons Group. Located at
the Port of Dammam in Saudi Arabia, the
diesel-powered unloader will handle white
cement at a rate of 250 tph. It includes a dust
filter and double bellows system to ensure
uninterrupted bulk material transfer to trucks
or wagons. The unloader was delivered in
March, just over two months after the order
was placed.
Siwertell, which is part of the Cargotec
group, also recently received an order for a
10 000 S road mobile unloader, which was
scheduled for delivery to a customer in India
at the end of April.

USA Lafarge and Holcim provide further details on proposed asset

divestments
Lafarge and Holcim have announced their planned
asset disposals in the US. The proposed package of
divestments has been negotiated with the Federal
Trade Commission and is subject to the Commissions
review and approval. The divestments will be carried
out pending the acceptance of the Commission and the
completion of the LafargeHolcim merger deal.
The proposed divestment package includes:
ll Three Holcim terminals in Michigan and Illinois.
ll Holcim Skyway 600 000 t slag grinding station in
Illinois.
ll Holcim Camden 700 000 t slag grinding station in
New Jersey, and a terminal in Massachusetts.

ll Lafarges 1.1 million t Davenport cement plant

in Iowa and seven cement distribution terminals
along the Mississippi River. Summit Materials has
entered into a definitive agreement with Lafarge
North America to acquire these assets for a total
consideration of US$450 million and its Bettendorf
cement terminal in Iowa.
Summit Materials will integrate the Davenport plant
and terminals into its Continental Cement Company
business in Chesterfield, MO. Following the transaction,
the combined business will comprise two cement plants
(Hannibal and Davenport), as well as eight distribution
terminals along the Mississippi River from Minneapolis
to New Orleans.

EVENTS

10 \

10 12 June 2015

15 18 September 2015

7 9 October 2015

WCSB7

UNITECR 2015

ILA General Assembly

Bordeaux, France

Vienna, Austria

Istanbul, Turkey

www.wcsb7.com

www.unitecr2015.org

www.internationallime.org

7 10 October 2015

13 16 October 2015

10 12 November 2015

13th TMB International Technical

Seminar and Exhibition

14th International Congress on the

Chemistry of Cement

20th Arab International Cement

Conference & Exhibition

Antalya, Turkey

Beijing, China

Cairo, Egypt

www.tcma.org.tr

www.iccc2015beijing.org

www.aucbm.org

May 2015
World Cement

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Netherlands HeidelbergCement
extends contract with Shanks
Shanks Group plc will supply HeidelbergCement with
energy pellets following a six-year contract extension.
Icopower, part of Shanks Solid Waste Division, will
provide the cement producer with 54 000 tpy of its
ICOPOWER energy pellets, which will be used to power
kilns at HeidelbergCements plants.
Shanks collects specific commercial waste to ensure
the high calorific energy pellets meet strict production
specifications. In the Netherlands, these pellets are
not classified as a waste product due to their chemical
composition.
Shanks is currently investing in a new storage
shed for the pellets at its Icova site in Amsterdam.
The ICOPOWER energy pellets will be stored at the
2300 m2 shed before being shipped to customers in
Scandinavia.

India BASF opens new

construction chemicals plant
in Nellore
BASF India Limited has opened its fifth construction
chemicals plant in the country. The companys newest
facility is strategically located in the Naidupet area
of Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, with good access to the
road network and Krishnapatnam Port.
The plant is equipped with state-of-the-art
technology, a multiple tank storage facility
and a concrete lab. It will produce standard
and custom-made performance based concrete
admixtures, as well as construction systems. The
new facility will enable BASF to strengthen its
services in the region, providing timely support
and high-performance solutions to customers in
southern India.

Worldwide Loesche grinding technology for cement plants in

Turkey and Venezuela
Elmadag, Turkey
At the end of March, Loesche announced that it had
begun commissioning of an LM 45.4 raw mill at VICATs
Bastas Baskent Cimento plant in Elmadag, Turkey. The
VRM, which has an installed drive power of 2100 kW,
will grind 260 tph of cement raw meal at a fineness of
16% R 90 m.
The mill was ordered by VICAT Service Technique
Ciment in May 2014. Delivery took just 10 months, and
commissioning has been scheduled for 3Q15. Mills of the
same type can already be found in the Bastas Baskent
Cimento plant, as well as in VICATs plant in Konya.
Loesche has also supplied the plant with weighing
feeders, magnetic separators, metal detectors, shut-off
and control flaps, vibrating conveyors, a bucket elevator
and expansion joints.

The Bastas Baskent Cimento plant in Turkey.

12 \

May 2015
World Cement

Monay, Venezuela
AVIC International Beijing Co. Ltd has ordered two
Loesche mills for a new INVECEM Industria Venezolana
del Cemento plant. The new 2500 tpd cement plant
is being established in Monay, Trujillo. It is one of
three new plants being built in Venezuela as part of
a joint project between the Chinese and Venezuelan
governments.
Loesche will provide an LM 48.4 mill that will
grind cement raw material at a rate of 280 tph at
12% R 0.09 mm. An LM 53.3+3C cement mill will
also be supplied to the plant. This will have the
capacity to produce 200 tph of OPC with a fineness of
3200 Blaine. Loesches scope of supply also includes
LDC classifiers. Delivery of the main parts is scheduled
for November 2015.

USA CalPortland receives 2015 Energy Star Partner of the Year

Sustained Excellence Award
CalPortland has been recognised by the EPA
with the 2015 Energy Star Partner of the Year
Sustained Excellence Award for its impressive
energy efficiency performance. The awards honour
organisations that demonstrate commitment to
environmental leadership, lowering their GHG
emissions through superior energy efficiency
achievements.
This is the eleventh year in a row that CalPortland
has received an ENERGY STAR Award.

CalPortland has been an ENERGY STAR partner

since 1996. For nearly two decades that relationship has
been instrumental in the continuous improvement of
our energy program, said Allen Hamblen, CalPortland
President and CEO. We have established a core culture
of energy management that includes all levels of the
companys operations. Our employees are very proud
of their accomplishments to improve energy efficiency,
reduce emissions and contribute to the protection of
our environment while reducing cost.

Worldwide Latest industry appointments

ll Adriano Greco has joined FCT International as Sales
Director, based in the US. Greco is a well-known
figure in the industry, with many years of experience.
His previous roles include Managing Director of Greco
and Sales Director at Gebr. Pfeiffer.
ll SCHADE Lagertechnik GmbH has appointed
Dr Christoph Seifert as Managing Director. Effective
as of 1 February 2015, he is responsible for
engineering, project management and purchasing.
Together with Karl-Heinz Fiegenbaum who is
responsible for sales and finance, Seifert makes up
the companys management team. He has some
25 years of experience in the international energy
and mining industry.
ll Eric Olsen has been named as future CEO of
LafargeHolcim. His appointment, which will

commence open the closure of the merger

project, has gained the approval of the Lafarge
and Holcim Board of Directors. Olsen is currently
Executive Vice-President Operations at Lafarge,
after joining the group in 1999 and becoming a
member of its Executive Committee in 2007. He
has performed a number of senior roles, with
experience of driving change. Among others, this
includes leading the integration of Blue Circles
North American operations and restructuring
cement assets, and leading the integration of
Egypts Orascom.
ll Advanced Emissions Solutions, Inc. has appointed
L. Heath Sampson as President and Chief Executive
Officer, as Dr Michael D. Durham retires from the
company.

IN BRIEF
US-based Tank Connection
recently announced
that the company
would become an ESOP
(employee stock ownership
plan), effective as of April.
As we move into the
future, the focus of our
employees wont change,
but the mindset of our
team will be as employee
owners, explains Tank
Connections founding
partner and President,
Bill Neighbors.

14 \

May 2015
World Cement

Atlas Copco has launched

an employee-led
sustainability initiative
following a company-wide
survey that involved over
3000 employees across
65 countries. The Blue is
the New Green programme
aims to reduce consumption
of resources such as water,
electricity and materials. The
scheme encourages staff to
share sustainability ideas
and work together to solve
challenges.

Entries are now being

accepted for the bauma
Innovation Award. Exhibitors,
research institutes and
companies, and members of
German construction industry
associations are among those
eligible to apply. Categories
include: machinery;
components; research;
design; construction process/
construction work. The
awards will be presented in
Munich, as part of the bauma
2016 opening ceremony.

Fulfil, innovate
and think global.
Always Interested.
The world around us is changing fast, so is our company.
We are very proud that we have manufactured the most
beautiful equipment for customers all over the world.
Our goal is always to fulfil the wishes and to exceed the
expectations. We are global thinkers and always innovating
with respect to the planet and the people. A new age asks
for a new proposition which we like to present to you. We
hope you like it as we do. We are Always Interested.

A
LE

SE MEE T US

AT

INTERCEM
LONDON

1-3 JUNE 2015

Always Interested. Van Aalst Bulk Handling.

BO OT H 12

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engineering, manufacturing and supply of equipment
and installation supervision. The customer can rely on
one experienced and reliable source.
Also Interested?
T +31(0)172 213 341
E info@vanaalstbulkhandling.com
I www.vanaalstbulkhandling.com

Van Aalst is the brand name of Van Aalst Bulk handling B.V. and
Van Aalst Bulk Handling Corp.

Pioneering technology
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With more than 150 years of experience, we have unique
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2 x 4,000
tpd (cement clinker)

will be achieved when the second production line

of PT Holcim Indonesia Tbk at the Tuban plant
in Indonesia is on-stream. Commissioning of this
production line started already.

ThyssenKrupp
Industrial Solutions

KEYNOTE

MAY

The Concrete Initiative:

Solutions for Europes Future
Koen Coppenholle, Chief Executive of CEMBUREAU, the European
Cement Association, outlines the objectives of The Concrete
Initiative and the social, economic and environmental challenges
facing Europe today.

HeidelbergCement S. Fuchs.

Introduction
Concrete. The second most widely used substance
in the world after water, deeply rooted in our daily
lives, providing the infinitely mouldable liquid stone
for long-lived, solid foundations and the backbone
of mankinds built environment. And yet, in spite
of its many attributes, concrete does not receive
the recognition it truly deserves. Some see it as
grey, dull and boring. Others perceive concrete as a
non-environmentally friendly construction product. The
reality is quite different. Concrete has many attributes,
and has a key role to play in ensuring sustainable
construction. This is why we have set up The Concrete

Initiative: to debunk the myths, to highlight what

concrete really does have to offer, and to launch
a real debate on how to achieve truly sustainable
construction.
For us, as representatives of the concrete industry,
the primary goal is to engage with key stakeholders
at EU level on what is needed to achieve sustainable
construction, what we have to offer, and which policy
framework is required. However, when talking about
sustainability, there is a tendency to forget that it
is about more than just the environment. Economic
and social considerations must also form part of the
mix. Therefore, under the umbrella of The Concrete

May 2015
World Cement

/ 19

industrial employer in Europe, with some 20 million

jobs. As highlighted by the European Commission,
one job created in construction translates into two
additional jobs created elsewhere. But what does
the concrete sector itself have to offer? The concrete
industry as a whole employs some 550 000 people
in the EU, generating
approximately e65 000 in
added value per employed
capita per annum. More
As representatives of the
importantly, concrete is a
local business, employing
concrete industry, the primary
local people. This means that
the money and investment
goal is to engage with key
that goes into concrete is
stakeholders at EU level on
pumped back into the local
economy. The components
what is needed to achieve
used to produce concrete
aggregates, cement, and
sustainable construction, what
water are also sourced
we have to offer, and which
locally. As a result, we have
a local production value,
policy framework is required.
with concrete construction
driving economic growth,
innovation and jobs in
Europe.

Initiative, we are working together with different

stakeholders at EU level to identify and discuss social,
economic and environmental challenges. In turn,
we believe that this debate will allow us to identify
sustainable construction solutions for the future. So
what are the challenges that need to be tackled?

Social challenges
According to the
European Commission,
75% of the EU population
lives in towns and cities,
and this percentage is
expected to continue to
increase. This will result
in additional pressure on
housing, transport and
energy infrastructure. At
the same time, affordable
housing needs to be made
available to this growing
population without
forgetting the fact that
buildings must be safe
and resilient, capable of
withstanding extreme
weather events and offer
protection in the event of a fire. Thanks to concrete,
people already have access to safe, affordable and
resilient housing and infrastructure.
ll Concrete is the key to a safe and resilient built
environment, as well as solutions to societal
challenges such as those induced by increasing
urbanisation.

ll Affordability, flexibility and energy efficiency make

concrete a material of choice for infrastructure
such as hospitals, schools, public buildings and
transport infrastructure.

ll As a central pillar of the construction sector,

concrete is a driver of economic growth, with a
unique multiplier effect on jobs and economic
activity.
ll Concrete is a main enabler of modern construction,
providing multiple and unique properties,
flexibility and value for money.
ll Concrete is a local business across the entire value
chain, deeply rooted in local economies. A local
product for a local market.

As part of this campaign, The Concrete Initiative

is committed to working with key stakeholders
to accelerate the development, availability and
use of affordable and safe construction solutions
across Europe. At the same time, it is important for
policymakers to enter into a deep debate with the
concrete sector in order to identify an adequate
regulatory framework, which will incentivise sufficient
financing to boost sustainable construction practices.

In terms of jobs and skills, The Concrete Initiative

is committed to engaging with education institutes to
promote skills development. In addition, it will work
with policymakers and relevant stakeholders to foster
advances in the knowledge and understanding relating
to the economics of sustainable construction, to identify
barriers and to explore new models. At the same time,
it is important that industrial policies and standards
at EU level remain material neutral, focusing on the
performance of the building or infrastructure itself.
In addition, the full economic benefits of all building
materials must be harnessed by further developing the
Green Public Procurement Guidelines and criteria that
include whole-life performance and durability.

Economic challenges
The economic crisis is a major challenge affecting
Europe today. As a result, growth and jobs are
high up on the political agenda. In this respect, the
construction sector (including concrete) is fundamental
to stimulating Europes recovery. Construction is the
largest single economic activity and the greatest

Environmental challenges
With buildings accounting for 40% of the EUs total
energy consumption, there is clearly much that
can still be done in this arena. There are also other
environmental impacts that need to be tackled,
including resource efficiency and recycling. Efficiency
and low carbon solutions are not new subjects for

ll Concrete can be cast into virtually any shape or

form, which allows for design freedom and an
almost infinite variety of applications.

20 \

May 2015
World Cement

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Did you know?

70% of the worlds population lives in

concrete structures.

Every E1 spent on construction output

generates a total of E3 in total economic
activity (GDP increase).

The concrete used in the Channel Tunnel is

contractually guaranteed to last 120 years.

the concrete industry, with The Concrete Initiative

pointing to the fact that, for example, the carbon
footprint of concrete has tumbled 44% over the past
60 years as technology has leapt forward. However,
one of the major focus points of the environmental
pillar is the fact that concrete can have an even
greater positive impact during its use phase in
buildings and infrastructure. For example, in terms
of transport infrastructure, concrete road surfaces
have lower rolling resistance and so can reduce the
fuel consumption of vehicles, especially trucks. Every
kilometre of concrete road can reduce CO2 emissions of
vehicles by 1000 4000 t over a 30-year period when
compared to flexible road surfaces, which could have a
huge impact over the tens of thousands of kilometres
of roads in Europe. It is also an extremely durable
material.
The key point here is that concrete offers the
highest level of whole-life performance, with the
industry continually striving to provide a net positive
environmental impact throughout the lifetime of its
products. As part of its messaging on this subject, The
Concrete Initiative aims to highlight the importance
of considering all impacts, including those from raw
material extraction, manufacturing, construction,
use of the building, to end-of-life disposal or reuse,
when assessing the impacts of a given construction.
Currently, there is a tendency towards focusing on just
part of the lifecycle, which can give a misleading idea
of the overall impacts of buildings and infrastructure
projects. In this respect, concrete offers optimum
whole-life performance, as follows:
ll Concrete absorbs temperature variations (by its
thermal mass), which reduces energy consumption
in buildings.
ll Thanks to use of alternative fuels and byproducts
from other industries, and end-of-life recycling,
concrete is an integral part of the circular
economy.

Koen Coppenholle, CEMBUREAU Chief Executive.

Presenting The Concrete Initiative to the European

Parliament.

22 \

May 2015
World Cement

In terms of commitments, The Concrete Initiative

will continue to provide industry input to European
standards to further the goals of a low-carbon Europe
and maximise the use of recycled products. In addition,
it will provide guidance to specifiers, architects and
builders on maximising the advantages of the thermal
mass of concrete, contributing to greater energy
efficiency. At the same time, on a more political
level, it is essential that sustainability standards and
regulations look at the performance of the whole
building rather than its individual components, and
take a whole-life approach.
What have we done so far?
At the beginning of 2014, The Concrete Initiative
prepared the groundwork by identifying and meeting
with key stakeholders in order to assess some of the
issues that need to be dealt with. The campaign itself
was subsequently launched on 27 May in Brussels,

bringing together a wide audience at EU level,

including architects and other representatives
from the construction industry, as well as the
European Commission and the Economic and Social
Committee. Given the parliamentary elections in
May 2014, November provided an ideal opportunity
to introduce the newly elected Members of the
European Parliament to The Concrete Initiative at
an event in Strasbourg.
However, the focus of The Concrete Initiative
is not limited to policy makers. In order to ensure
the right policy framework, it is up to us to ensure
that those holding the pen receive the necessary
technical input to assist them in their legislative
drafting. With this in mind, a thematic lunch
on the issue of recycling concrete construction
and demolition waste was held at the end of
October 2014. The topic of recycling is high up on
the EUs political agenda, further to the publication
in July 2014 of the Communication on resource
efficiency opportunities in the building sector.1
The role of these lunches is to launch a real debate
between technical experts and policymakers
working directly on relevant legislation. By ensuring
that the right people were around the table, the
debate enabled an open discussion on what works,
what does not and what could be the potential
solutions. Plenty of food for thought came out of
this debate and the discussions will now continue as
the issue evolves. Given the very positive feedback
on this model, The Concrete Initiative will continue
to organise such events. Items on the 2015 agenda
include the competitiveness of the concrete sector
and its role in the economy, safety, as well as
renovation and rebuilding.
The Concrete Initiative also aims to illustrate
its messaging through case studies from across
Europe, which are regularly posted on the website
(www.theconcreteinitiative.eu). In addition, the
initiative provides a platform for stakeholders
wishing to express their view on a topic of
particular interest and relevance via a blog. Both
of these items are open to contributions. For more
information please contact the author via the
Editor (katherine.guenioui@worldcement.com).
Summary
ll Concrete: a local product for a local market.
ll Concrete: a motor for jobs and growth.
ll Concrete: a solution to policymakers objectives
for carbon reduction, for recycling and for
energy efficiency.
ll Concrete: the backbone of modern society.
References
1. Communication from the Commission to the European
Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions
on resource efficiency opportunities in the building
sector. COM(2014) 445.

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Brian Wamwenje, ICT Manager at Savannah Cement, Kenya,

describes howSAPHANA has taken the organisation ahead of its
competitors by significantlyimproving their customer experience
and ensuring faster, more strategic decision-making throughout
the entire business.

24 \

SAVANNAH CEMENT:

STREAMLINED

Introduction
Savannah Cement is the newest entrant into the cement
market in Kenya and has a state-of-the-art, eco-friendly
cement grinding plant with a capacity of 1.5milliontpy.
The cement plant is strategically positioned
near Nairobi, the regions financial capital, which
accounts for 50% of Kenyas cement consumption. The

organisation is committed to sustainable environmental,

economic and social well-being for not only the present
but also future generations. Savannah Cement currently
directly employs approximately 250 people and aspires
to be the cement manufacturer of choice in the region.
Outside of Kenya, the company is actively engaged

/ 25

in Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Democratic

Republic of Congo, as well as South Sudan.
In the midst of frenetic business expansion into new
territories, Savannah Cement was not only keen to gain
a competitive advantage in a fierce market; it quickly
identified the need for an agile technology platform
through which to streamline its business processes and
pursue its sustainability vision. Some of the businesscritical objectives the IT team of 44 people set out to
achieve were to:

As such, it looked for a world-class technology

vendor that would:

ll Eliminate duplicate transactions.

Selecting the platform

After a rigorous selection process, Savannah Cement
opted for SAPs Business Suite on SAP HANA, which
combines data processing and application platform
capabilities to bring speed and real-time functionally to
analytics, business applications and data services.
SAP Business Suite powered by HANA delivers a
unified way of addressing an organisations transactional
and analytical requirements within a single in-memory
platform, allowing companies to perform real-time
planning, execution, reporting, and analysis across their
end-to-end business processes and in so doing, drive
the entire business forward in real-time.
SAP HANA is a revolutionary product in the
relational database field. Contrary to belief, its not
just for huge conglomerates with thousands of users.
Throughout Africa, we have witnessed that it is
changing businesses view of database management
and offers up great business continuity strategies,
commented Brian Wamwenje, ICT Manager at
SavannahCement.

ll Gain complete ownership of business processes.

ll Obtain real-time feedback while transaction
processing is in progress to support the appropriate
corrective actions.

ll Improve customer satisfaction, resulting in

increased sales and revenue.
ll Increase effectiveness, ignite value-chain
improvements and improve supply chain
efficiencies from an operational perspective.
ll Lower the cost of doing business.

Project execution
However, selecting the right technology solution to
enable business requirements is the battle half-won,
Savannah Cement staff at the loading bay of the
said Wamwenje. All organisations that have had to
plant.
implement technology will attest to the fact that
technology only translates into
a solution once it has been
implemented and has proven
its worth. It can be a painful
process. This was not the case
with SAP and the technology
implementation company
selected.
In this context, Savannah
Cement collaborated with Sperkjet
East Africa Limited (SEAl) and
EOH for the SAP implementation
project. The project kicked off in
mid-January 2014 and went live on
1May2014 an extremely short,
successful implementation period
for the second Business Suite on
SAP HANA implementation on
the African continent.
This speedy implementation
was enabled by engaging a
Savannah Cement prides itself in having the right people powered by the right
knowledgeableimplementation
technology.

26 \

May 2015
World Cement

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Corporate social investment is seen as

value creation, ensuring that the company
ventures into innovative sustainable
programmes, firm in the belief that this will
provide them with fundamental strategic
and operational impact.
The anticipated benefits of this
approach include:
ll Shared values between Savannah
Cement and the communities the
company engages with.

The Savannah Cement plant.

partner that possessed the required SAP HANA expert
knowledge and skills. Such a rapid implementation
period also demands a tried-and-tested implementation
methodology. The ASAP methodology, combined with
meticulously managed project resources and milestones,
as well as rigorous quality assurance guidelines ensured
the delivery of a highly successful project, which was
delivered not only on time, but also according to the
budgetary scope.
Business Suite on SAP HANA and smart technology
availability was a critical component for Savannah
Cement. Through these technologies, server setup time
was limited and the business continues to enjoy cost
reductions on server monitoring and maintenance.
Using add-on smart technology such as HANA Studio
has also simplified traditional database management
to simple, semantic tasks and commands, driven from a
user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI).
All in all, SAP has enabled Savannah Cement to
significantly reduce the traditional back-end tasks
and multiple previously-required man hours spent on
keeping their previous system going. The company
has now also deployed a redundancy system (also
running on HANA) and has cut costs when it comes to
manpower that would have been utilised for a manual
business process.
Today, the SAP technology platform runs across four
geographical sites and is currently being utilised by
44 users who employ the solution for various business
functions, including sales and distribution, procurement
and material management, finance reporting and
controlling.
The human element
From a resources perspective, Savannah Cement now
ascribes to a mode in which resource use aims to meet the
needs of the individuals in the area in which the company
operates, while also preserving the environment, so that
all sustainability objectives can be met not only in the
present, but also for generations to come.
Savannah Cements sustainability model revolves around
environmental sustainability and economic sustainability.
The company strives to tie its strategic initiatives with the
globally acknowledged millennium development goals.

28 \

May 2015
World Cement

ll The promotion of competitiveness

and innovation.
ll The promotion of a truly sustainable
business model.
ll Integration of the business into the community.
ll Development of human capital.
The proof is in the ROI
One can argue that a short technology implementation
period is in itself impressive, but the question is: has
Savannah Cement achieved the objectives it set out to
achieve with SAP?
In the time since the implementation, the results
have proven to be stellar. Benefits achieved include:
ll Increased visibility, integrity and accuracy in
operational reporting.
ll Reduced period closure reporting lead time by
75% 80% (from 8 10 days to 2 days).
ll Reduced operational meetings from at least three
each day to one per day.
ll Increased market share from 8% to 11%
since Go-Live. This is equally validated by a
month-on-month increase in sales figures.
ll Increased resilience in a business-critical system:
the company has had zero system downtime since
implementation.
ll Faster turnaround in order processing, due to
enhanced real time visibility, has led to increased
customer satisfaction.
ll Customer relations have become more congenial
due to faster response times to customer queries
and simplified business engagement models all
driven by real-time reporting from their core
transactional database.
ll Savannah Cement has truly positioned its brand in
the market as being customer-centric, offering a
differential and intentional customer experience.
The final word
SAP HANA has completely changed our view of
database management and has greatly simplified tasks,
giving our business a cutting-edge advantage and
incomparable agility. Clearly to us, SAP HANA was built
to keep the business running simpler and better. We
could not be happier. concluded Wamwenje.

That was a sample of World Cements

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May issue

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