Belocal acquires L-Imerys' Brazilian lime and dolomite business

Belgium lime and dolomite producer Lhoist's Brazilian JV, Mineração Belocal, acquired L-Imerys' business in Minas Gerais state, local paper Diário do Comércio reported.

L-Imerys was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in the municipality of Doresópolis. It is dedicated to the extraction of lime and dolomite. The business was part of the French multinational Imerys, present in Brazil for more than four decades.

The 200,000t/y capacity business was inaugurated in December 2013 and demanded an initial investment of 30mn euros (US$35.8mn), the report said.

Belocal is a JV between Lhoist and Votorantim Cimentos, the cement unit of Brazilian industrial conglomerate Votorantim. In 2004, all assets belonging to Votorantim, including its client portfolio and lime production facilities in southeast Minas Gerais, were transferred to the JV.

The conclusion of the transaction still depends on the approval of competent bodies. The acquisition's value was not disclosed, according to the report.

Belocal is part of Lhoist South America, which has nine units in Brazil, Chile and Colombia.