Capital Investment Continues for Holcim Plant
Media release
Capital Investment Continues for Holcim Plant
2 April 2008 - As Holcim New Zealand focuses on two
priority options for future cement supply, it is continuing
to make significant investment into its current cement
production plant at Westport.
A $2.3 million high
voltage upgrade project on the main substation at the
Westport Works has recently been completed, giving the plant
more supply flexibility and reducing the risk of power
interruption to the plant. Major repairs to support
structures on an incline conveyor structure have also been
completed. In March, during a planned shutdown of kiln 3,
work included replacement of two sections of the kiln shell.
Several other major capital projects are planned this
year, including investing $950,000 in a new quarry screen to
provide more effective screening of quarry materials thus
reducing electricity consumption at the quarry and during
the raw milling process.
Continuation of the
Westport plant (with an appropriate maintenance and capital
works programme) plus bulk imports is one of the two
priority cement supply options being considered. The other
option, preferred by Holcim New Zealand, is to construct a
new cement plant at Weston, near Oamaru. Consents were
granted for the Weston option plant in February, however
Holcim New Zealand is appealing a number of conditions
relating to these consents.
The final cement supply
decision will be made by Holcim New Zealand’s parent
company, Holcim Ltd and is not expected before late this
year. During meetings held with Westport staff in March,
the company emphasised that even if the decision favours a
new plant at Weston, the plant would still need to keep
operating for at least a further four years after that
decision is made to allow time for planning, construction
and commissioning of a new Oamaru plant.
Meanwhile
Westport Works continues to work to capacity, with record
cement production of over 507,000 tonnes achieved in 2007.
For the past five years Holcim New Zealand has had to import
cement to supplement production from its Westport plant,
which will celebrate 50 years of cement production in
May.
Caption for photo: Two sections of cement kiln shell were replaced recently during a planned shutdown of Kiln 3 at Westport Works. Other significant projects recently completed include a $2.3 million high voltage upgrade of the main substation at the plant.
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