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History

CIMPOR

The first cement plant to be built from scratch in Portugal was the "Tejo" plant, later known as Cimpor Alhandra. This plant, which has been operational for more than a century, is located in the village of Alhandra, on the right bank of the river Tejo.


The Alhandra Manufacturing Plant dates back to 1890, having been granted a patent for the manufacture of artificial Portland cement as of the charter of the 24th of April 1894, producing 6,000 tonnes of cement per year in a Hoffmann horizontal kiln.

On the 26th of March 1976, public company CIMPOR - CIMENTOS DE PORTUGAL, E.P. was formally established from the nationalisation of seven Portuguese cement plants, having encompassed three cement plants - Alhandra, Loulé and Souselas - from the offset, as well as the Cabo Mondego Hydraulic Lime Plant, Maceira-Liz and Pataias Manufacturing Plants.

In the twenty years that followed, Cimpor grew within Portugal and abroad, its operations expanding to thirteen countries: Portugal, Spain, Angola, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Cape Verde, Mozambique, South Africa, China, India, and Peru.

In 2005, CIMPOR acquired 100% of the share capital of the company Nordicave Trading Industrial, Lda, which, at the time, owned 86.65% of Cimentos de Cabo Verde, S.A. (CCV).

The 24th of January 2006 was a milestone in CIMPOR's history in terms of its environmental impact. This was the day on which the Souselas manufacturing plant was registered in the EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme), therefore completing the registration of the company's three Portuguese cement plants within the scheme.

CIMPOR was acquired by the Brazilian group Camargo Corrêa in 2012. Subsequently, in January 2019, the OYAK Group acquired all the assets of CIMPOR's Business Units in Portugal and Cape Verde, with Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC) also as a shareholder.

At the beginning of 2024, Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC), a company based in Taiwan, acquired all CIMPOR's assets in Portugal and Cape Verde. This acquisition has the future goal of growing its business in strategically important geographies and is already present in 11 countries and 4 continents.

TCC operates in the energy sector, battery manufacturing and the production and commercialisation of cement and it´s derived products. The Company is recognized for its commitment to sustainability and the implementation of low carbon technologies and renewable energies.

With this acquisition TCC has become the third largest player in the world cement market, allowing CIMPOR to continue to strengthen its position in the global market and develop a renewed vision of sustainability and technological innovation.



CIMENTAÇOR

Cimentaçor was founded on the 26th of November 1984 with the aim of guaranteeing an efficient, consistent supply of materials to all islands in the Archipelago. The partners who joined forces to found the business were Entreposto Industrial das Ilhas (Cimpor), the Regional Government of the Azores, and Secil. Following several changes made to the company's corporate structure, Cimpor became its sole shareholder in 2007 - circumstances that are still true to this day.


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As soon as the company was established, studies were initiated with the aim of finding the best solutions, specifically regarding the location of new units, seeking to maximise the use of natural resources and the cement best suited to the region. As a result, the decision was made to build two new manufacturing plants, which became operational in 1989. In June, the Murtas Grinding Mill was inaugurated in São Miguel, and in November came the turn of the Praia da Vitória Port on Terceira Island.

Having been present in the Azorean market for over three decades, during which improvements have been implemented across production and distribution processes, and a particular focus has been placed on operational safety, both of direct and indirect workers, as well as environmental issues, Cimentaçor continues to serve the Azorean population to the greatest extent possible, effectively responding to market needs thanks to their tailored solutions.


TIMELINE

  • 1894 - Production begins at the Alhandra Plant
  • 1976 - Founding of CIMPOR - CIMENTOS DE PORTUGAL, E.P.
  • 1982 - Construction of the Maia Depot.
  • 1983 - Initiation of the process of adaptation to coal, replacing oil fuel.
  • 1984 - The 26th of November 1984 marks the signing public deed of incorporation of Cimentaçor. Entreposto Industrial das Ilhas (Cimpor) holds 60%, Secil 20% and the Regional Government of the Azores the remaining 20% of the share capital.
  • 1985 - Transformation of the last production line from wet to dry.
  • 1989 - A year in which two new units become operational. In June, the Murtas Grinding Mill was inaugurated in São Miguel, and in November came the turn of the Praia da Vitória Terminal on Terceira Island.
  • 1991 - The company is incorporated as a public limited company, changing its name to CIMPOR - CIMENTOS DE PORTUGAL, S.A.
  • The restructuring of the national cement sector, which took place in 1990, imposed by the reprivatisation policy applied to nationalised operations, leading to the founding of Cimentos Maceira e Pataias (CMP), which was later sold. As a result, the Maceira and Pataias plants ceased to be part of the Cimpor Group.
  • 1994 - The privatisation process begins. In the first phase, about 20% of the capital is sold, leading to the Company being owned by about 14,000 shareholders.
  • 1996 - The second phase of privatisation takes place in October 1996 with the sale of a further 45% of the company's share capital.
  • 1997 - Having had its products certified previously, Cimpor-Indústria successfully has its factories ISO certified in 1997.
  • 1998 - The third privatisation phase takes place with the sale of around 25% of the company's share capital, leading to Cimpor becoming 90% privatised, owned by about half a million shareholders. The Portuguese State now holds 10% of the capital. The "mature" market in Portugal registers one of the highest rates of cement consumption per capita in the world (984 kilograms in 1998)
  • 2001 - Fourth and last phase of the privatisation process - The Portuguese State sells its entire shareholding in CIMPOR (10.05%) to Teixeira Duarte, S.A.
  • 2005 - CIMPOR acquires 100% of the share capital of company Nordicave Trading Industrial, Lda, which, at the time, owned 86.65% of Cimentos de Cabo Verde, S.A. (CCV).
  • 2006 - The 24th of January 2006 is a milestone in CIMPOR's history in terms of its environmental impact. This is the day on which the Souselas manufacturing plant is registered in the EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme), therefore completing the registration of the company's three Portuguese cement plants within the scheme. 
  • 2012 - InterCement's takeover bid for Cimpor is registered in June 2012.
  • 2018 - On the 26th of October 2018, the OYAK Group signs an agreement with InterCement, seeking to purchase the assets and respective operations belonging to CIMPOR's Portugal and Cape Verde Business Division. In early December, OYAK notifies the Portuguese Competition Authority (PCA), hoping for clearance, which is also required from Brussels.
  • 2019 - The acquisition of CIMPOR by OYAK was approved on January 10th 2019 by the European Commission, with Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC) also as a shareholder.
  • 2020 - CIMPOR begins operations in Ivory Coast.
  • 2024 - Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC) acquires all CIMPOR's assets in Portugal and Cape Verde.