Carmeuse invests EUR 2.5 million in alternative fuels for lime production in Serbia - Nearly EUR 10 million invested in two years

(Julian Danvers)

Carmeuse, a company that operates in Serbia since 2013, when it took over the Serbian lime manufacturer Jelen Do, is going to invest EUR 2.5 million in the exploration of possibilities for using alternative fuels in lime production, says Julian Danvers, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Carmeuse Europe.

- Lime production is an intensive process in terms of energy consumption. One of our biggest expenses is the fuel used in lime production. Having a certain degree of flexibility in fuel expenditure provides us with a possibility of adopting ourselves to the market, gradually changing our production processes and offering more stable prices to our consumers. This is a very important element of our operations - Danvers says in a talk with eKapija.

Without this, as he says, the company would depend on fuel sources which have their own price trends that Carmeuse has no effect on.

- Many fuels can be used in lime production. Jelen Do factory is using gas for this purpose, while we are searching for a solution that would allow us to use solid fuels in the production of lime, such as lignite and similar ores, which would ensure a different energy base as well as greater flexibility in lime production - Danvers stresses.

According to him, the investments Carmeuse has made in Serbia to date total EUR 9.5 million, including the ongoing ones. The company has invested in a number of areas of production as well as in the production plant itself, and it continues to invest. As Danvers explains, Carmeuse is a company that believes that responsible investing leads to long-term stability of operations.

(Photo: isak55/shutterstock.com)

He points out that safety at work and care for the environment are the areas in which Carmeuse continuously invests, adding that these two area are among the company's top priorities.

- We invest a lot in the safety of our employees and their education about the importance of safety at work, but numerous aspects of safety at work are in close connection with the culture of employees, which is why we work hard to ensure all our employees are safe every moment they spend at work - says Danvers.

Carmeuse, a global leader in lime production, opened an office in Belgrade in late August 2015, thus continuing to invest in Serbia and proving it has long-term plans for this region.

Speaking about the possibility of making the Carmeuse office in Belgrade a logistics hub for the Balkans in the future, Danvers explains that it is only one of the ideas at the moment and that the company is currently considering the options to centralize certain European business segments in some locations. As he says, Belgrade may be one of these locations for the Balkans or even some wider area.

- We haven't made any concrete decision in that regard yet. The reason why we opened the office in Belgrade is to be closer to our partners and decision makers as well as to make Belgrade a kind of hub for this region. The progress of this idea will depend on our business results here, in the region and all across Europe. For now, no fixed plans are made, but anything is possible - Danvers concludes.

Sead Saitovic