Lafarge Ciments announced it will close its Frangey plant in Burgundy at the end of 2012. It has attributed the decision to the “overcapacity in a small local market” by a plant that “can hardly adapt to the changing needs of new cements with a low environmental footprint.”

According to company sources, the high production cost and the low kiln capacity utilisation rate also counted against the continued operation of the plant.

In terms of employment of current workers at the plant, Lafarge said: "There will be no redundancy. Each employee will be offered a solution for reclassification within Lafarge Ciments."