HeidelbergCement subsidiary CBR has announced its intention to close a clinker and white cement plant in Harmignies, Belgium, after attempts to make it profitable failed.
It puts the closure down to difficulties in keeping production costs down and a fall in the market for white cement, coupled with increasd competition. The closure means 97 job losses.
The plant suffers from a number of handicaps, said the company. Production costs are too high and the location is poor, away from rail and water-based transport. Capacity is low and the wet process used is more expensive than the dry process used by competitors.
Various measures have been attempted to improve profitability, including significant investments to reduce production costs but the company has concluded that the plant is no longer competitive and that no significant improvement can be expected.
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