Latest news with #limestone
Trade Arabia
27-05-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Power International opens Fujairah's first limestone production facility
Power International, a UAE-based mining company, has announced the opening of its new limestone production plant in the northern emirate of Fujairah with a 120,000 tonnes per year capacity. The first quicklime production plant in Fujairah, it employs cutting-edge technology to extract quicklime from limestone. Power International aims to double the capacity with the setting up of a second production line by 2026, thus bringing the total capacity to 240,000 tonnes annually. Speaking at the opening ceremony, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, reiterated the emirate's significant role in supporting the national economy and its leading position as a global hub for mining industries and a magnet for international investment in the industrial and economic sectors. The event was attended by Sheikh Eng. Mohammed bin Hamad bin Saif Al Sharqi, Director-General of Fujairah Digital Government, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Saif Al Sharqi, President of the UAE Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation as well as Mohamed Saif Al Afkham, Chairman of Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation (FNRC) Board of Directors. Sheikh Mohammed highlighted the continuous support and follow-up of H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah, for advanced and specialised industrial projects that contribute to sustainable and comprehensive development in the emirate and the wider UAE. He also emphasised that these projects reinforce Fujairah's position as a global destination for mining and industrial innovation. Nikunj Bathwal, Director-General of the Power International factory, said the project's success stems from the strategic vision and backing of the Fujairah government. "This facility is more than just industrial infrastructure; it was designed according to the highest international standards, with sustainability, safety, and operational excellence at its core," he stated. Al Afkham said the factory represents a strategic milestone, reflecting the entity's commitment to the efficient use of natural resources, in line with the directives of the Ruler of Fujairah and the follow-up of the Crown Prince. FNRC's future direction aims to enhance the industrial sector's role in sustainable development by supporting innovation and expanding both local and global market reach, he stated. This reinforces Fujairah's position as a leading industrial hub contributing to economic diversification and aligning with UAE Vision 2030 and 2071.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Campaigners 'shocked' by Pury End quarry plan consultation
Campaigners said they were "shocked" a council only sent out 41 notification letters to residents about a controversial quarry project.A proposal from Heritage Quarry Group Ltd (HQGL) would see a new limestone quarry next to the existing one at Pury End, near Towcester in Stop the New Pury End Quarry (SNPEQ) group said a consultation had ignored some houses in the hamlet, a new estate in Towcester and a primary Northamptonshire Council has been invited to respond. HQGL said a minerals and waste local plan had identified the site as suitable to provide crushed rock. An SNPEQ spokesperson said: "As a group, we are shocked that for such a large site, which could impact the living conditions and health of so many local residents, only 41 letters were sent out by the council notifying residents of the plans." More than 1.5m tonnes of limestone would be extracted from the site, including about 50,000 tonnes of Pury stone, one of the most finely grained submitted a Freedom of Information request to find out which residents had been response from the Reform UK-controlled council showed that 27 letters had been sent to people in Pury End, which has around 100 houses.A further 14 had been sent to Towcester and nearby villages. SNPEQ said about 130 homes on The Furlongs, on the edge of Towcester, should have been informed, along with the developer, Persimmon group said Marie Weller Primary School, about 630m (689 yards) from the site, should also have been told because of the "possible impact on children's health".Despite its concerns about the consultation, SNPEQ said its campaign had resulted in 220 objections being sent to the SNPEQ has also submitted an objection letter, saying the new quarry contravenes the local minerals said it had spend £2580 so far on legal advice and publicity. Stephen Woods, from HQGL, said: "The proposed development was allocated in the Northamptonshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan as a site suitable for the provision of crushed rock to enable a planned supply of aggregates over the plan period."The full planning application was supported by an environmental statement and the proposed development subject to environmental impact assessment, which includes measures to mitigate against any negative impacts of the proposed development." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
South China Morning Post
14-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong oyster reefs' decline and restoration charted in documentary
Think of oysters and most people picture them on a bed of ice at a seafood buffet. But apart from being a Sunday brunch delicacy, these shellfish are the ocean's unsung heroes. In their natural habitat, oysters are ecological superstars that are capable of improving water quality and stabilising shorelines. They are hard-working, too: a single oyster can, through its gills, filter 200 litres (52 gallons) of murky water a day, creating healthy environments for marine species. Oyster reefs – underwater structures formed by large populations of oysters that attach to hard surfaces such as rocks – once stretched along about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) of coastline in southern China's Pearl River Estuary area, including Hong Kong. This documentary is not just about oysters, but the bigger picture of rebalancing our relationship with the ocean Mike Sakas, City of Shells director and producer But over the centuries, the reefs were decimated as a result of over-harvesting, reclamation projects and pollution. A thriving limestone industry also led to their demise. Oyster shells are 91 per cent limestone, which is used in cement and fertiliser. Limestone fuelled construction and agriculture during the 19th and 20th centuries.
