General data

Introductory Presentation

This link contains our sixteenth Environmental Statementfor the Vallcarca quarry owned by Cementos Portland Valderrivas, in accordance with EMAS regulations. It is the first statement that we have published in a 100% online and digital formatfor our stakeholders and interested parties. 

The Grupo Cementos Portland Valderrivas in the business of manufacturing basic construction products. Its main activity is cement manufacturing, but it also has plants for manufacturing aggregates, mortar, and concrete.  These products are manufactured based on a commitment to sustainable development and in a manner compatible with climate protection and the principles of responsibility, applying a life cycle approach (from the supply of raw materials to the end of the product's useful life).

OurEnvironmental Management System (based on ISO 14001:2015)incorporates risk and opportunity management, with a life cycle approach that includes planning, control of environmental aspects, compliance with requirements, and improvement plans. Indicators and results are prioritized, summarizing environmental progress compared to previous statements to highlight improvements. All the content of the Environmental Statement has been reviewed by Management, with independent validation byAENOR (the certificate can be seen at the end of the document). All Statements are available on our website www.valderrivas.es, or can be requested from us through the various channels listed on the last page of this statement.  

Agenda 2030. Related Sustainable Development Goals

This Environmental Statement includes at the end a specific section with information on the 2030 Agenda.

Description of the activity

Activities and scope of the Environmental Statement

The Vallcarca site is used for limestone and marl extraction, clinker and cement manufacturing, and the production of aggregates, concrete, and mortar.  The activities covered by this declaration are the extraction of limestone and marl (CNAE code: 0811 Limestone extraction) and the production of aggregates for construction (CNAE code: 2399 Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products). 

The quarry, known as VALLCARCA No. 3,889, has an operating area of 202.3 hectares and is used to extract stone for the production of aggregates and for the manufacture of clinker and cement. Due to the current economic situation, the cement factory attached to the quarry is inactive most of the time, and all the stone extracted is used for the manufacture of aggregates. Activity in the quarry dates back to 1903, when stone extraction for clinker production began. In 1953, aggregate production began at the Locotrack plant, and later, in 2005, production of this product was expanded with the operation of the Metso plant.

The initial companies comprising the activities described above, UNILAND CEMENTERA, S.A. and ÁRIDOS UNILAND, became part of the Cementos Portland Valderrivas cement group in 2006.  In October 2014, following the takeover of the companies by this cement group, it was renamed CEMENTOS PORTLAND VALDERRIVAS, S.A. 

The grupo Cementos Portland Valderrivas made up of a large number of companies and operates in Spain and Tunisia. Its environmental organization is based on a functional hierarchical relationship between the Corporate Areas and the Operational and Business Responsibility Areas. All of Grupo Cementos Portland Valderrivas cement factories in Spain, as well as the Vallcarca aggregates plants and the Esparreguera mortar plant, have their environmental management systems registered in accordance with the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) Regulation.

The Vallcarca facilities are located in the municipality of Sitges, on the coast of the Garraf region, 35 km from Barcelona, and are well connected to the capital by road and highway. They are also close to the port, meaning that manufactured products can also be shipped by sea.

Plant location: Ctra. Comarcal 31, km 168.
, 08872 Vallcarca-Sitges, Barcelona.

Description of the Environmental Management System

The management system implemented at the Vallcarca plant, which is responsible for the extraction of limestone and marl and the production of aggregates for construction, complies with international standards UNE-EN-ISO 14.001:2015 and European Regulation 1221/2009 (EMAS III), amended by EU Regulation 2017/1505 and EU Regulation 2018/2026, and is incorporated as part of the Organization's system, which adopts the principles of Environmental Management as a fundamental axis of its actions.

The environmental management system was certified by AENOR in 2007 and registered in the EMAS register in 2010 with the code ES-CAT-000314. 

This management system, the audits, and the reviews carried out by management allow us to maintain a dynamic approach to environmental management, always based on the following fundamental principles:

• Compliance with current environmental legislation, beyond its strict enforcement.
• Continuous improvement of the plant's environmental performance.
• Pollution prevention.

The documents supporting the Environmental and Energy Management System are described below, based on the Corporate Manual and general procedures that respond to its interaction with the Corporate Departments, as well as specific procedures that cover the operations of the cement production business unit and those of each factory.

Location and contact

Address: Ctra. Comarcal 31, km 168, 08872 Vallcarca-Sitges, Barcelona. –  Tel: 938983900 – Email: jordi.flores@gcpv.com

Web: www.valderrivas.es

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Primary and secondary CNAE code:2399, 0811

Organizational Policy

POLICY: Environmental and Energy Policy - July 2022

Mission

To develop, produce and market cement and construction materials, contributing to sustainable development, with special attention to safety and the environment, satisfying our shareholders, staff, customers and suppliers.

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Vision

Communication and participation

Communication and stakeholder engagement

As with any business project, stakeholder participation in business development is an essential element of the strategy of grupo Cementos Portland Valderrivas, S.A. grupo Cementos Portland Valderrivas. We therefore strive to communicate our activities clearly and transparently in order to raise awareness and improve our reputation.

Shareholders

The channels that ensure communication and dialogue between the Group and its shareholders are as follows:

• The General Shareholders' Meeting.
• The specific telephone answering service.
• Specific e-mail: rci@gcpv.com
• The corporate website in its section directed exclusively to shareholders.

Employees

The satisfaction and motivation of the Group's team is one of our greatest challenges. Various internal communication channels have been developed to provide employees with continuous information on activities while encouraging their participation and involvement in decision-making related to environmental issues:

• Environment and Health and Safety Committees: meetings are held to discuss issues of environmental and health and safety interest. At the annual environment committee meeting, the evolution of the environmental management system, the achievement of the objectives set, and other environmental aspects that may be of interest are reviewed.
• Environmental announcements: these enable employees to communicate directly with the environmental department about environmental incidents or suggestions for improving aspects of the facilities.
• Training sessions: established in accordance with the Annual Training Plan, these are a two-way tool for communicating aspects related to the environment and occupational risk prevention. We have also attended more specific conferences and forums on environmental issues of interest.
• Internet portal: in accordance with current legislation, the Group makes its corporate website www.valderrivas.es available to the public, enabling it to comply with the requirements of the Transparency Law and the disclosure of environmental information.

Suppliers, auxiliary industry and customers

It is our intention to move forward with our commitment to communicate our Environmental Policy to our suppliers and contractors, involving them in our environmental practices so that we can all work in an environmentally friendly manner. To this end, we provide them with instructions on how to proceed and request information from our suppliers regarding their management practices, aware that ultimately satisfying customer needs depends on the quality of the entire supply chain.

Our company focuses its efforts on offering competitive, high-quality products through our Quality Management System in accordance with UNE-EN-ISO 9001:2008, which ensures the consistency of our main commitment to our customers, developed within a framework of respect for the environment. The communication channels established to meet the environmental information needs of interested parties are the Commercial Assistance Department and our Group's website.

Public and private administrations

Cementos Portland Valderrivas, S.A. collaborates with public and private institutions in promoting initiatives or projects of interest to the community through sponsorships, collaboration agreements, participation in conferences, and other events.

Local and regional government

Formal communications are maintained with the Sitges City Council regarding the application for licenses and authorizations for new facilities, the establishment of collaboration agreements, requests for information, etc.

Communication with the regional government takes place for the review of authorizations, evaluation of work plans, and other issues related to legal requirements for quarrying and aggregate manufacturing.

Associations and business groups

We interact with other associations and business groups within Catalonia, the rest of Spain, and Europe.  

In this regard, the company's achievements are disseminated for application to other companies in the sector through its presence in GREMI D'ÀRIDS, an association of aggregate manufacturers in Catalonia, in the FEDERACIÓN DE ÁRIDOS (FDA), which brings together guilds and associations of aggregate manufacturers at the national level, and in the EUROPEAN AGGREGATES ASSOCIATION (UEPG) at the European level.

Society in general

An essential element of our cultural tradition is the rootedness of our company in the territories in which we operate. For this reason, we have developed a broader vision in our relationship with social agents and stakeholders in the communities, improving the channels of communication, dialogue and collaboration. 

We are strengthening ties with social organizations by responding to requests for visits to the quarry and production plant and by publishing the group's sustainability report in accordance with the Global Reporting (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The sustainability report is a balanced and reasonable presentation of the company's economic, environmental, and social performance. 

Environmental emergencies

Real environmental emergencies and drills allow us to evaluate and update the implementation of the Self-Protection Plan, which covers quarrying and aggregate manufacturing activities and has been drawn up by the Occupational Risk Prevention Department. This plan covers different emergency scenarios, action plans for each of them, and the teams responsible for implementing them.

In 2024, there were no environmental emergencies that triggered the self-protection plan, but a drill was conducted to evaluate the emergency team's response. 

The drill consisted of a simulated fire in an electrical room at the aggregates plant. During the drill, the implementation of the Self-Protection Plan procedures and the operation of the fire extinguishing equipment were verified. After the drill, the deficiencies were analyzed and an improvement plan was proposed. 

UNLOADING OF HAZARDOUS GOODS

The unloading of dangerous goods is carried out in accordance with the International Agreement on the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR). We have a Safety Advisor who annually assesses our level of compliance with the requirements of the ADR and RD 97/2014. We submit an annual report to the competent authorities.

Unit: Tons of blasted rock and tons of aggregate producedManufactured product (aggregate produced + waste)

Evolution of production activity 

In 2024, 756,565 tons of limestone were extracted and 513,010 tons of aggregate were produced at the Vallcarca plant. All the blasted rock was basically used to manufacture aggregates, and the variations observed in production compared to previous years are due to market demands. Aggregates are mineral, solid, and inert materials with suitable particle sizes and characteristics in accordance with regulatory specifications. They are the main suppliers of raw materials for infrastructure construction, building, industry, and environmental protection, making aggregate production a strategic industry. The variety of products manufactured at the Vallcarca plant are mainly used in the manufacture of concrete and mortar, as riprap, and a small portion is reused in the manufacture of cement. The final product is mainly distributed in the domestic market. All aggregates have CE marking, which means that all products marketed comply with the requirements of the Construction Products Directive.

Environmental management and control

Electricity consumption

The increase in the ratio in 2024 is related to the production of finer aggregates that require more grinding time. This year, production of AF-T-0/2-C fine aggregate has increased at the Locotrack plant due to market demand.

Fuel consumption

The above data shows an increase in the diesel consumption ratio of quarry vehicles, shovels, and trucks that transport limestone from the quarry faces to the processing plants. This consumption varies depending on the location of the quarry faces.

And the diesel fuel consumed by vehicles and aggregate production facilities has remained similar to previous years.

Evolution of specific metrics and ratios

Units of energy consumption in MWh and their ratios associated with the activity.

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Note: CNMC labeling of Fortia company 4.7% renewable energy.

Environmental management and control

In 2024, Decree-Law 9/2023 on extraordinary and urgent measures to address the drought situation in Catalonia remained in force. The data in the table reflect the positive impact of the measures taken at Vallcarca to reduce water consumption by optimizing irrigation in restored areas and, as specified in this Decree-Law, eliminating the use of water for irrigation of roads.

Evolution of specific metrics and ratios

Environmental management and control

Public waterway receiving the discharge: Watertight septic tank.

Environmental management and control

Emissions from channeled sources

At the Vallcarca aggregates plant, six main sources of particle emissions from chimneys have been identified. These sources are associated with the processes of feeding hoppers, grinding, and shipping the final product.  These emission sources are equipped with bag filter-based purification systems, which are the Best Available Techniques in the sector and purify dusty air currents before they are released into the outside environment.

The operational efficiency of the filters is checked periodically following a predictive maintenance plan or through spot checks of particle emissions. Spot checks are carried out according to the frequencies established in the Environmental Authorization, every 2 or 3 years depending on the facility.

The last checks on these filters were carried out in 2023, and the results were within the limits established in the Environmental Authorization. In 2024, the checks established in the predictive maintenance plan were carried out to ensure that they were working properly.

Diffuse source emissions

The main sources of diffuse dust emissions into the atmosphere are due to the transfer and movement of powdery materials in aggregate manufacturing facilities and also to the circulation of trucks on the dirt roads of the quarry.

Diffuse emissions are minimized by adopting a series of preventive measures such as:

• Paving of main roads and cleaning of these with a sweeper.
• Compaction of the ground on internal quarry roads and irrigation using tanker trucks.
• Location of a gravel bed at the exit of unpaved roads for cleaning vehicle wheels.
• Maximum speed limit of 30 km/h.
• Moistening of work areas and the stone being processed.
• Location of material storage areas at lower elevations or in shielded areas.
• Conveyor belt fairing and installation of suction devices at material transfer points.
• Channeling emissions from different facilities to bag filters for purification.
• Periodic vehicle inspection.

Continuous monitoring of the facilities allows us to act immediately if abnormal diffuse dust emissions are detected in the work areas. In addition, every three years, as specified in the quarry's emissions permit, a quantitative assessment of diffuse emissions is carried out through the control of sedimentable particles by an accredited control entity.  

The last check was carried out in the spring of 2022, and the results for total suspended particles at the three points evaluated were below 300 mg/m³.² day, the reference value set in the technical instruction of the Directorate General for Environmental Quality for the control of diffuse emissions. It should be noted that these specific checks are influenced by working conditions, but also by the weather conditions during the period in which they are carried out and the distance between the location of the control points and the work area.

Environmental management and control

The Vallcarca aggregate production plant is registered in the Industrial Waste Producers Register under code P-65566.4, and in March 2025, the Annual Waste Producers Declaration was submitted (Waste Law 22/2011).

The production of aggregates and the extraction of limestone generate a minimal amount of waste, most of which is Hazardous. Annual variations are primarily due to specific maintenance work and facility cleaning operations.

Since the production of Hazardous waste Hazardous exceed 10 tons per year, it is not necessary to submit a Hazardous Waste Minimization Plan.

Evolution of specific metrics and ratios

Biodiversity indicators

Quarry exploitation has a temporary impact on the landscape, and the Group has defined the "development of integrated management criteria for quarry restoration and biodiversity promotion" as a future challenge. This challenge is in line with the additional exploitation/restoration measures established in the Environmental Authorization for the activities carried out in the quarry.  These additional measures also take into account the fact that the activity is included in the European Natura 2000 Network (XN2000), as it has been declared a Special Protection Area (SPA) due to the nesting of a pair of Bonelli's eagles (a priority species included in Directive 79/409). 

At the Vallcarca site, it is worth highlighting the restoration work begun in the old quarry square in 2008, based on the restoration project drawn up by Fundación Natura, which was subsequently expanded and approved by the competent authority in December 2010 as a restoration program for all mining activity.

This project focuses on creating different habitats that promote biodiversity and benefit certain species of flora and fauna that may be vulnerable. To this end, the restoration project combines areas for growing herbaceous plants, scrubland plantations, Mediterranean meadows, pastureland plantations consisting of old, widely spaced trees, and depressed, waterproofed areas to encourage water accumulation.

In January 2019, approval was received from the Administration for the new restoration program for the Vallcarca quarry and the resolution from the Directorate General of Mines informing of the incorporation of this restoration program into the Vallcarca No. 3,889 operation. 

Significant and/or sector specific indicators 

Sound emissions

The work carried out at the Vallcarca quarry, the aggregate production process itself, and the movement of heavy vehicles along the quarry roads are sources of noise in the surrounding area that affect the local population and wildlife.

The location of the quarry and the Vallcarca aggregate plant, isolated from the main neighboring towns and with favorable terrain, minimizes this impact on the population. In any case, every two years an official noise control is carried out at the Campdàssens farmhouse, the building closest to the quarry and which can be considered sensitive to noise. The last check, carried out in April 2024, showed that the limits established in Decree 176/2009 of November 10 were being complied with.

As for wildlife, the nesting of a pair of Bonelli's eagles in the quarry has led to the implementation of additional measures to reduce noise. These measures include enclosing the main aggregate production facilities and modifying the main route taken by vehicles in the quarry to avoid disturbing these birds during their nesting period.

Vibrations

The control of vibrations from blasting in the quarry is carried out in accordance with the criteria of standard UNE 22.381:93, which regulates vibrations produced by blasting. The peak vibration velocity limits established for Group II buildings (residential buildings) are considered to be the criteria for damage prevention. 

For each blast, the percentage of approach to the limit is calculated, with a maximum value of 100%, using the records obtained from the seismograph located at the Metso plant facilities.  In 2024, the average value recorded was 7.6%, and the year-on-year variations are mainly due to the characteristics of the blasted rock and the distance between the blasting area and the seismograph's location.  

Soils

In November 2015, the baseline report on soil and groundwater for the entire Vallcarca site was submitted to the authorities: quarry, cement factory, and aggregate, mortar, and concrete plants.

The Environmental Authorization resolution of June 2017 establishes a series of preventive measures for the protection of subsoil and groundwater, such as: compliance with technical instructions regarding the storage of hydrocarbons and hazardous substances, establishment of a network of subsoil quality monitoring points in potential areas of concern, and the establishment of a maintenance and supervision plan for the measures adopted.

The latest groundwater monitoring checks in piezometers and wells, as well as checks on vapor collectors located in the factory and quarry areas defined in the environmental authorization, were carried out in 2022. All the points analyzed complied with the reference values or threshold values established by the Catalan Waste Agency.

Description of the most important and significant environmental aspects

Our activity takes into account the identification and assessment of the impact ofdirect environmental aspects, under normal and abnormal operating conditions, indirect aspects, and emergency aspects. Theformer are those generated as a result of activities in the quarry, over which there is full control of their management. Grouped according to their environmental vector, the environmental aspects under normal and abnormal conditions shown in the attached table have been identified and assessed. We also assessindirect environmental aspects arising from activities over which we do not have full control.

Specifically, the latter correspond to greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the transport and distribution of the final product and the fuels used, those associated with electricity consumption, and the management of aggregate waste at the end of its useful life. In 2024, no indirect environmental aspects have been identified as significant. In this way, environmental aspects have been linked to all stages of the aggregate production life cycle, from stone extraction to the end of the materials' life.

The evaluation of environmental aspects is a starting point for the revision of the System, and for the definition and updating of operational control and improvement planning procedures. This evaluation is carried out annually on the basis of a series of environmental criteria:

• Hazard or level of environmental impact of the aspect.
• Quantity or volume of the environmental aspect.
• Complaints received from stakeholders and legal non-compliance.
• Severity or level of severity of the impact, generally associated with the intrinsic and objective hazard.
• Probability, frequency or recurrence with which the aspect occurs.
• Capacity to influence economic, technical or human resources to carry out actions for prevention, control and correction of the aspect.

This Statement shows the so-called significant results, which are the outcome of objective analysis, applying our evaluation procedure in each case.

Description of significant environmental aspects 

Environmental improvement planning

In 2023, a target was set to increase the restored area in the quarry in order to improve biodiversity in the surrounding area, a target to be developed in 2023-2024.

In December 2024, a ratio of restored area to affected area of 42% was achieved, meeting the indicator set in this objective.

List of permits, authorizations and declarations in force

LThe main references applicable to limestone and marl extraction activities and the manufacture of aggregates are as follows:

• Resolution, dated June 7, 2017, renewing the environmental authorization of the company Cementos Portland Valderrivas, S.A., for the manufacture of clinker and cement and the operation of aggregate, concrete, and mortar plants located at the Vallcarca plant (file no. B1RP140325).
• Resolution, dated October 27, 2017, of the appeal for reconsideration filed by the company against the resolution dated June 7, 2017.
• Resolution of non-substantial change, dated July 28, 2020, consisting of the modification of the table of waste produced, incorporating new waste codes without increasing the total amount of production (file ref. B1CNS200201).
• Resolution of January 29, 2013, granting a 30-year extension of the concession to operate the Vallcarca quarry.
• Resolution authorizing emissions from activities that could potentially pollute the atmosphere for the Cementos Portland Valderrivas facility—Vallcarca quarry (file no. BAAE170005 dated March 1, 2019).
• Favorable report from the Directorate General for Environmental Quality (DGQA) on the update of the CD Vallcarca Ampliación 01 mining restoration program. Received in January 2019.
• Resolution of the Directorate General for Energy, Mines, and Industrial Safety, incorporating the new activity restoration program into the Vallcarca operating concession no. 3889. Received in January 2019.

The Integrated Environmental Authorization is an authorization granted by the Government of Catalonia, which sets out the technical requirements and control regime to be followed for most of the environmental aspects identified in the activities carried out at the Vallcarca quarry.

And the Emissions Authorization for the quarry site, also granted by the Government of Catalonia, establishes measures for the prevention and control of air pollution caused by the activities carried out in the quarrying operations.

Specifically, for the activities carried out at the Vallcarca quarry, the following legal requirements have been identified for 2024:

• Authorization for the use of angle grinders and blowtorches in maintenance activities carried out in the quarry during the period from March 15 to October 15, 2024.
• Authorization for the burning of explosive containers during the period from March 15 to October 15, 2024. 

Regulatory Compliance Summary

• The activities carried out by the Vallcarca quarry are conducted in accordance with current European, national, regional, and local environmental regulations, as well as the specific requirements of each facility. An annual assessment of environmental legal compliance is carried out with the participation of the company's legal advisor.  

This Digital Environmental Statement has been verified by:

- AENOR

The most valid document, or in case of discrepancies, is the PDF digitally signed by the verifying body. This document is a true reflection and printout of this Digital Environmental Declaration or rendered web page. You can download this render here as the CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL DECLARATION: GCPV VALLCARCA

Date of lastedit: – Master File Version No.: 0

ORGANIZATION: PORLAND VALDERRIVAS CEMENT GROUP – CENTER(S) – COVERAGE: VALLCARCA QUARRY

ACCESS TO THE EUROPEAN REGISTRY: EUROPEAN COMMISSION

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