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On May 19, Lafarge Group held the official opening ceremony for its new cement plant in Ferzikovo settlement of Kaluga Region. The event was attended by First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Government Igor Shuvalov, Kaluga Region’s Governor Anatoly Artamonov, Lafarge Group General Director Bruno Lafon, President of Lafarge Group in Russia Andre Martin, Director of the Lafarge Plant in Kaluga Region Nils Ledinek and other honored guests.

The design capacity of the facility is 2 million tons of cement per year. It is estimated to create around 550 new jobs. The amount invested in the project was EUR 500 million. Cement will be manufactured using the “dry” method, which required 2.5 times less energy than traditional technologies. The plant will have the capability to use alternative fuel. By 2020, the share of alternative fuel is supposed to reach 45% in all of the plant’s fuel consumption. This will allow the company to make a considerable contribution to the preservation of nonrenewable resources and improvement of the region’s ecological situation.

The plant built by Lafarge Group together with its co-shareholder, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is the company’s first project of this kind in Russia. “This is the biggest Lafarge investment in Russia”, said Andre Martin.

Igor Shuvalov noted that Kaluga Region opened numerous modern enterprises in the recent decade. “The region has proved its ability to work with investors”, he said. He also emphasized that the implementation of the project was a vivid example of development of multinational cooperation: “A French investor is using Chinese technologies and equipment to establish a project in Kaluga Region. So it’s Russia, France (EU) and China. I hope to see more of such collaborations in the future”.

Igor Shuvalov: “There’s a constant buzz about two RF subjects – Tatarstan and Kaluga Region. You have created a unique team and managed to achieve tremendous success here. This is a vivid example of how the situation in a region can change within the lifespan of a single generation. You managed to create a unique atmosphere, with dozens of new enterprises working and manufacturing automobiles, electronics, and now, most importantly, cement – the foundation of all construction”.

RF President Vladimir Putin: “I am certain that the launch of these large scale high tech projects will contribute to the strengthening of the region’s economic potential, to the creation of new modern jobs, to the resolution of an entire range of social issues. Such efficient work with investors, consistent efforts targeted at the improvement of the business climate is an excellent example for the country’s other regions”.

RF Government Chairman Dmitry Medvedev: “I congratulate you not only on the opening of this remarkable plant, but on an event that is a vivid example of successful cooperation between Russia and France. Over a brief period of time, Kaluga Region launched a modern new enterprise that was built using innovative green technologies. And the project is also advanced from the point of view of energy efficiency”.