Holcim (US) Inc. has opened one of the world’s largest cement operations on a 3,900-acre, Mississippi River front site, capping nearly 10 years of permitting
CP STAFF
Holcim (US) Inc. has opened one of the world’s largest cement operations on a 3,900-acre, Mississippi River front site, capping nearly 10 years of permitting and upwards of $1 billion in equipment, construction and site investments. With production capacity of 4 million metric tons/year and access to population centers consuming perhaps 5-10 times that output, the Ste. Genevieve County, Mo., plant becomes a crown jewel for Holcim (US) and Swiss parent Holcim Group.
Announcing the facility’s mid-August opening, Holcim (US) CEO Bernard Terver commended a safety-minded construction team, which peaked at 2,500-plus workers, and affirmed, This plant and our robust network of terminals and distribution assets will ensure a reliable supply of the highest quality cement to our customers. Ste. Gen is one of the most environmentally efficient cement operations, he added, and reflects major commitments to minimize emissions, protect air quality, and conserve natural resources.
The cement plant and quarry have an initial payroll of 250. A harbor and fleeting facility along the Mississippi, coupled with some of the largest clinker and cement storage silos ever built, will enable Holcim (US) to traffic more than 75 percent of plant materials and finished products by barge Û maximizing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact. The Ste. Gen capacity offsets production lost to the company’s streamlining of older Dundee, Mich.; Mason City, Iowa; Clarksville, Mo.; and Artesia, Miss., mills Û all mothballed in the last year. Combined capacity for the four operations is about 3.7 million metric tpy.