Jul 5 2011
HeidelbergCement today celebrates the opening of a modernized kiln line at its Polish cement plant in Górazdze. The expansion of the clinker capacity to 6,000 tonnes per day had already been completed on schedule at the beginning of April and was commissioned shortly thereafter.
"Modernising the kiln line No 2 in our Górazdze cement plant has enabled us to successfully complete another project as part of our investment programme in attractive growth markets," explains Dr. Bernd Scheifele, Chairman of the Managing Board of HeidelbergCement. "By deploying state-of-the-art technology, we reduce specific energy consumption and CO2 emissions per tonne of cement and create the premise for the increased use of alternative fuels. With this capacity expansion, we are able to better meet the increasing demand for building materials in Poland, while continuing to strengthen our position as market leader."
Górazdze is HeidelbergCement's largest, most advanced cement plant in all of Europe. Already in 2003, the kiln line No 1 had been modernized and its clinker capacity extended. The current capacity expansion is realised in two phases. In the first phase, the clinker capacity of kiln line 2 was increased from 3,500 to 6,000 tonnes per day. In the second phase, the construction of a new cement mill is intended to expand the grinding capacity for cement in line with the new clinker capacity. This second phase is scheduled for completion in mid-2012. Once the project is fully implemented, cement capacity will increase by 1.2 million tonnes per year.
Euroconstruct, the European construction business research group, anticipates in its latest forecast for Poland a rise in cement consumption of 15% and 5% for 2011 and 2012. Domestic demand will increase, in particular, as a result of the further development of transport infrastructure and the growing demand in residential construction.