While getting to know the Kurzeme river Ciecere, friends Roberts and Helēna visited the Brocēni cement plant with their four-legged friend Urga. Santa Kļava, Head of the Environmental Department of SCHWENK Latvija, provided a site seeing at the plant, told about the cement production process and raw materials used, cement-clinker burning process and alternative fuels used in it: a mixture of specially prepared household and industrial waste – SRF (solid recovered fuel) and used tires.

From the annotation of the program: “Due to the discovery of limestone deposits, a cement industry was developed in Brocēni in the 1920s. Although limestone is now mined from slightly more distant quarries, the Brocēni cement plant is still located near Lake Ciecere. It produces cement of excellent quality with a special focus on a sustainable and environmentally friendly production process”.

The program “Pa straumei. Ciecere” can be watched on the website of LSM.LV https://ltv.lsm.lv/lv/raksts/07.04.2022-pa-straumei-ciecere.id258019

Photos by Lauris Vīksne

On April 8, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš visited the SCHWENK Latvija cement plant in Brocēni.

Meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia K. Kariņš, SCHWENK Latvija Management Board Members – Environmental and Legal Director Evita Goša, Personnel and Administration Director Linda Šedlere, Cement Sales and Logistics Director in the Baltic countries Māris Gruzniņš, Material Business Unit Director Jegors Golubevs and Cement Operations Director Piotr Klepak – informed about the goals of the company towards the Green Deal, the challenges in the supply of energy resources and the availability of alternative fuels in Latvia.  Representatives of SCHWENK Latvija informed about future investments and development of processes to continue to produce and supply high quality construction materials to customers throughout Northern Europe efficiently and sustainably.

Photos by the State Chancellery

Three schools in Saldus region will receive funding to implement project idea in a school grant program created by SCHWENK Latvija, Christian Pfeiffer Maschinenfabrik GmbH and IBAU HAMBURG. To fully implement the projects chosen by the Competition Committee, initial grant program fund is increased up to 16 500 EUR.

Program funding will be received by:

• Jaunlutriņi Primary School to purchase equipment and products that will help students to understand the process of product creation and production.
• Kalnsētas Elementary School to ensure students with special needs with learning tools to explore human body parts, weather, environment and principles of electricity.
• Saldus Elementary School to provide Lego Engineering Program to all age groups.

In total seven applications were received from Saldus regional schools. Grant Program developers are thankful to each school for participation, courage, and accepted challenge to prepare an application and present an idea in English. Competition Committee praised all ideas although choice which project to be supported were not easy due to their diversity and uniqueness – there were no similar ideas.

Grant Program Committee were represented by three representatives of each company.

With aim to support educational institutions in Saldus region to grow capacity in STEM subjects, foster interest, understanding and knowledge about science at any age, provide new technologies, tools and methods for learning, SCHWENK Latvija in close cooperation with partners Christian Pfeiffer Maschinenfabrik GmbH and IBAU HAMBURG created this grant program and invited schools to apply. Program tends to support ideas that has long-term impact in the future. Initial funding for the project was 15 000 EUR.

The initiative to create such a program came from all three partners, gradually completing work on a major innovation and investment project – the construction of a cement mill and multi-chamber silo at the SCHWENK Latvia Brocēni cement plant, which is the largest project since the plant began its operations.

 

SCHWENK Latvija, Christian Pfeiffer Maschinenfabrik GmbH and IBAU HAMBURG
school grant program

GENESIS – the EU-funded four-year research and innovation project has been completed, with the ambitious goal of developing and improving CO₂ capture and purification materials to demonstrate their performance, durability and reliability in an industrial environment. Implementation of the last stage of the project – testing of special technologies and materials was provided at the Brocēni cement plant. Under real industrial conditions provided by the cement plant, it was tested whether the MOF membrane system could detect and achieve a purity of CO₂ emissions above 90%.

Technologies for the capture, purification, storage and use of CO₂ play a key role in achieving the CO₂ reduction targets of the Brocēni cement plant as well as the overall priorities of the EU Green Deal. These technologies are our ability to provide our customers with a climate-friendly manufacturing process and an environmentally friendly, sustainable product.
The GENESIS project was implemented by 18 partners from 9 countries: Belgium, France, Israel, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Watch the project closing video developed by SCHWENK Latvija and visit GENESIS Carbon Capture EXPO https://carboncapturexpo.net/.

GENESIS project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 760899.

This publication reflects only the author’s views and the European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Reinhold Schneider, Chairman of the Management Board of SCHWENK Latvija and CEO of SCHWENK Northern Europe, has been elected to the Board of the Foreign Investors’ Council in Latvia (FICIL) for the next two years.

Please read more on the FICIL website: the publication New Executive Board of FICIL has been elected.

 

A practical guide for Latvian entrepreneurs has been published – an assistant in starting work on the calculation of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which also includes the story of experience from SCHWENK Latvija.

Evita Goša, Member of the Management Board of SCHWENK Latvija, Environmental and Legal Director, shared the experience of the company in the online event organized by the Business Sustainability Council.

 

 

Gradually finishing the project of innovative and future oriented technologies in Brocēni cement plant, SCHWENK Latvija in close cooperation with project partners Christian Pfeiffer Maschinenfabrik GmbH and IBAU HAMBURG has created a special grant program for educational institution in Saldus region in amount of 15 000 euros in order to foster development of local community in the future.

Grant program holders hope to provide one or more schools a support to build their capacity and take a step towards new innovations in the learning process.

“For SCHWENK Latvija it is important to be a part of the local community and promote its growth by supporting and creating various initiatives. This year together with our partners, we are pleased to implement a new program. We are convinced that understanding the subjects of STEM is important not only for our present, but also for the future, in which sustainability and sustainable solutions will play an increasingly important role,” was highlighted by SCHWENK Latvija CEO Reinhold Schneider.

Educational institutions of Saldus region that ensures primary, secondary or professional education are invited to apply for SCHWENK Latvija, Christian Pfeiffer Maschinenfabrik GmbH and IBAU HAMBURG school grant program and receive funding in order to strengthen their capacity in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) subjects, foster interest, understanding and knowledge about science at any age, provide new technologies, tools and methods for learning.

There are no limits for ideas that might be submitted to give opportunities to schools to implement projects that are most important for them. It is possible to apply to get funding e.g. for equipment, research project or even event that fully complies with the aims of the project.

“The development of technical projects of young, technically interested people is important for Christian Pfeiffer. As a mechanical engineering company focused on grinding and separation technologies, we are very active in the cement industry. By promoting projects in the STEM fields, we want to continue our social responsibility and inspire young talents to join our industry. Together with SCHWENK Latvija and IBAU Hamburg, we look forward to the presentations of your projects. We wish good luck to all the applicants!” on behalf of the Management of Christian Pfeiffer was told by its representatives Dietmar Freyhammer and Martin Paterson.

“Today’s youth is our future – for IBAU HAMBURG it is a mission to promote new ideas as it is important for us that young people think outside the box. These young talents are the future of all of us and should be supported. This program gives students an insight into our work and hopefully inspires them to become a part our industry’s future,” was said by Holger Hutt, Managing Director, and Carsten Niedworok, Senior Sales Manager of IBAU Hamburg.

Project applicants can apply by filling in application form, shortly describing idea of the project, main activities, detailed budget as well the expected outcomes of the project. Project application form must be submitted by February 10, 2022. There is no limit for minimum costs of projects, but the maximum costs per one project may not exceed 15 000 euros. It is very important that this grant program does not require a co-funding.

As grant program committee is represented equally by all international partners who will participate in presentations and evaluation process of projects, a project proposal should be written in English. Project applicants will be invited to online presentation to present the idea to the grant program evaluation committee on February 23, 2022. Presentation should be prepared and presented in English. We do encourage schools to use their internal resources and language specialists to prepare the project.

Grant program regulation Grant_program_regulation_2022

Project application form Annex_1_grant_program_application_template_2022

Financial and content report form Annex_2_project_content_financial_report_2022

Representatives of educational institutions may ask and receive consultations about preparation of the project in Latvian by contacting: stiprakopiena@schwenk.lv or phone +371 24242135.

 

SCHWENK Latvija, Christian Pfeiffer Maschinenfabrik GmbH and IBAU HAMBURG school grant program

 

International Thank-You Day is an annual celebration marked on January 11th round the world to remind us of the importance of showing gratitude every day. International Thank-You Day has been established by the United Nations and UNESCO.

On International Thank-You Day, we thank our employees for doing their job safely every day so that everyone can return home to their family safe and sound!

We thank our customers for the trust in our products!
We thank our partners for the opportunity to implement all the good and important things we have done together!

The Customer Magazine of SCHWENK Latvija is on its way to our cement, RMX and AGG customers, partners and municipalities where our company operates. In the magazine, we explain important issues about the industry and the market, the EU Green Deal and our targets of climate neutrality, introduce the SCHWENK Group and business of SCHWENK Northern Europe and SCHWENK Latvija.

At the end of 2021, winners of the title – Employee of the Year – in seven categories have been awarded:

• Employees of the Year in Cement Production: Aivis Rancāns, Krišjānis Lejnieks, Vigo Kārkliņš
• Employees of the Year in Commercial & Logistics: Igors Dviņins, Inga Kapeniece
• Employees of the Year in Materials: Igors Izjumovs, Jānis Alsviķis, Gints Melnbārdis
• Employees of the Year in Administration & Back Office: Laura Dilberga, Inga Perlovska
• Employees of the Year in H&S: Anete Segliņa, Ivars Celiņš
• Manager of the Year: Aivars Buls
• Growth of the Year: Sandra Vīksnāne

The most sincere congratulations to our colleagues!