6 - Vicat

INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY5.2. INVESTMENTS5(b) Concrete & Aggregates : capital expenditureamounting to a total of 34 million euros, of which32 million euros in industrial capital expenditure• France : The principal concrete investments wererelated to the renovation of four concrete batchingplants. With regard to aggregates, the Groupacquired a new suction dredger and undertookthe improvement of an existing dredger. In additionto this, two new processing units came intooperation.• Switzerland : Investments were made on facilitiesfor recycling certain materials recovered from constructionsites, including timber, in order to supplythe Reuchenette plant with biogenic materials.• Senegal : Investments mainly concerned the replacementof a crusher at the Diack quarry.(c) Other Products & ServicesCapital expenditure amounted 14 million euros, including10 million euros in industrial investments, relatingmainly to construction chemicals in France andto the concrete precasting business in Switzerland.5.2.1.2. Investments made in 2008The total amount of industrial investments made in2008 was 383 million euros. These are shown belowfor each of the Group’s main businesses. Financialinvestments totaled almost 83 million euros in 2008and relate in particular to the acquisition of 65 % ofthe shares in the BSA Ciment in Mauritania, a pricesupplement paid in 2008 in relation to the project inKazakhstan completed in 2007 and several smallertransactions, in particular in the Ready-mixed concretebusiness in France.(a) Cement : capital expenditure amounting to atotal of 275 million euros, of which 209 million eurosin industrial capital expenditure• France : In Montalieu, the investments started inprevious years were complete, with in particular thestart up of the new vertical cement mill in August2008, enabling the cement capacity of the plantto be increased and greater energy efficiency tobe achieved.• Egypt : The construction of the second firing line atthe El Arish plant proceeded on schedule, with startup of the kiln in June 2008, enabling clinker productioncapacity to be doubled to 10,000 tonnesper day. This was followed in August 2008 by thestart up of the cement mill, which produced over350,000 tonnes of cement in the final months ofthe year, enabling the Sinai Cement Company torespond to the strong growth in demand on thelocal market.• Senegal : Work carried out in 2006 and 2007 (newbagging unit, new cement filler storage and dosingfacility, construction of a vertical cement mill) werecompleted during the year, enabling an increasein milling and shipping capacity with effect fromOctober 2008. In addition, the construction of anew kiln line continued on schedule in 2008.• Switzerland : Infrastructure work at the Reuchenetteplant to increase cement capacity, initially scheduledfor 2010, was started in response to growingmarket demand.• Turkey : Completion of payments in relation to theprogram to increase capacity at Bastas and Konya,on stream at the end of 2007.• Kazakhstan : Start of construction of the greenfieldplant. The amount entered in the 2008 accountsrelates to infrastructure work carried out (rail link,water and electricity supply), advance payments onequipment and the start of civil engineering work.(b) Concrete & Aggregates : capital expenditureamounting to a total of 162 million euros, of which150 million euros in industrial capital expenditure• France : In addition to the construction of two newcement batching plants in Ile-de-France, maintenancework was carried out on the batching plantsand investments were made in vehicles.• Switzerland : The renovation of the Saint Ours cementbatching plant was completed. Modernization workcontinued at the Emme Kies und Beon site and thenew ready-mixed concrete plant at Loveresse cameon stream in the third quarter of 2008.• United States : The Group acquired the Walkergroup, based in the Atlanta region. The Walkergroup specializes in the production of ready-mixedconcrete and has 14 concrete batching plants. Thistransaction is included in the industrial investmentsas the Group acquired the Walker group’s industrialassets.2009 registration document - VICAT 25