The sod turning ceremony for the new Devnya cement plant took place on June 28, 2008 in the presence of Italcementi Group’s Chief Executive Officer Carlo Pesenti, Chief Operating Officer Giovanni Ferrario, and Devnya Cement’s General Manager Alex Car, along with Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and Italian Ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. Stefano Benazzo. On this occasion, the subsidiary also celebrated its 10th anniversary as part of Italcementi Group and held an Open Door event for its employees and their families, which was also attended by contractors, clients and other stakeholders attending, too.

With more than 250 million Euro committed, the project represents one of the largest private-sector investments in Bulgaria for the past 20 years. The project, which will bring to completion the modernization of Devnya cement plant, entails replacing the wet-process kilns with a dry-process production line. This will allow Italcementi Group to introduce the best available techniques into cement production at Devnya, thus improving the plant’s industrial and safety standards, and reinforce its commitment to Sustainable Development, environmental protection and dialogue with the local community. Through this initiative, Devnya Cement earned the “First Class Investment Certificate” recognition.

The new dry-process production line will enable the company to cut operating costs substantially, especially its fuel bills. The project is also set to increase the plant’s production capacity from 2.5 million tons to 3.0 million tons per year of both cement and dry mortar mixes.
Moreover, thanks to this new installation designed to utilise heat from household waste co-incineration, the Devnya plant will be the most modern facility of its type in Europe. Commissioning and start-up of the new facilities is expected in 2010.

During the ceremony, Carlo Pesenti, CEO of Italcementi Group, expressed his great appreciation for the positive model of efficiency and cooperation among the institutions and the private sector in Bulgaria. Moreover, he expressed his gratitude for the assistance and the support the investment project had received from the government and all other institutions involved. “Italcementi Group, a company with more than 140 years of industrial leadership and a 10 year presence in Bulgaria, shows continued commitment in the countries and the communities where it operates,” stated Mr. Pesenti. The General Manager of Devnya Cement, Mr. Alex Car, explained that the plant would introduce the most advanced technologies in Bulgaria, allowing the country to meet the increasing domestic and international cement demands.
“This investment is significant for the economic and social growth and for the development of the country. Devnya Cement, as part of Italcementi Group, sets a good example for Bulgarian and international investors,” the Prime Minister added.

Italcementi controls 40 percent of Bulgaria's domestic cement market and over 90 percent of the current cement exports of the country. The Bulgarian subsidiary has achieved great results over the years and has made significant investments to improve productivity and efficiency of its operations while significantly reducing the environmental impact. This will ensure the long-term sustainability of the company and make a positive contribution to the local communities and regions in which the company operates.