CarpatCement Romania group, the branch of one of the leading producers of construction supplies, Germany's HeidelbergCement, expects to see turnover grow by 10% this year compared with 2003, when it reached 118 million euros, chief executive Mihai Rohan said.
CarpatCement Romania comprises, among others, the operations of three cement factories Casial Deva, Moldocim Bicaz and Romcif Fieni.
"We estimate 10% turnover growth for 2004 compared with last year. We have already attained 15% during the first five months of this year," Mihai Rohan said, who verified that the growth pace in the first half would maintain at 10% compared with the previous year.
The German group accounts for some 35% of the cement market, the latest available data shows, competing with French Lafarge Group (34%) and Swiss Holcim (31%). The cement market totalled more than 4.7 million tonnes in 2003, translating into sales of about 235-244 million euros.
CarpatCement yesterday announced the opening of the first automated cement production line on the Romanian market, which runs on used tyres as an alternative fuel. Used tyres are therefore directly competing with natural gas, fuel oil and coal in the cement production process. Cement is actually one of the most energy-intensive industrial products. The investment was made at the Casial Deva factory.
The German group will be using alternative fuels in all three of its Romanian factories by next year, which will require a total investment of approximately 2.6 million euros. CarpatCement, being a market player like any other, plans to utilise used tyres, used oils, thermal power station refuse and any other industrial waste for its cement-production process. This step is intended to reduce the costs related to expensive fuels, used in the cement production process, and also to implement the highest European environmental protection standards and therefore reduce pollution.
The first such investment in Romania, worth 600,000 euros, was made in order to gradually replace traditional fuels, which are much more expensive and account for 30% of total consumption.
adrian.mirsanu@zf.ro
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