Displaying items by tag: Middle East and Africa

Iraq: Multipower International (MPI) has announced the successful commissioning of Line 2 at Najmat Al Samawa Cement plant, according to a post on LinkedIn. The commissioning was carried out by MPI’s team, certified by Fives Pillard, with additional remote support from Fives Pillard experts.

Cold commissioning involved testing the fuel handling skids without load, checking instrument functions and resolving hardware and software discrepancies. Hot commissioning included testing the skids under load, burner alignment, flame detection, control valve calibration, automation integration and operation of the full system.

Nigeria: Dangote Cement despatched 481,000t of clinker from Nigeria to its subsidiaries in Cameroon and Ghana in the first half of 2025, according to its latest activity report. While country-specific volumes were not disclosed, the company said that the supply ensured production continuity in these key markets and helped mitigate volatility in international clinker prices.

The group’s 1.5Mt/yr clinker grinding plant in Douala, Cameroon, sold 687,000t of cement in the first half of 2025, down by 3% from 710,000t in the same period of 2024. Dangote Cement attributed the decline to a temporary slowdown in demand.

Despite this, the outlook remains positive, supported by major infrastructure projects such as the Douala–Yaoundé highway and nationwide road rehabilitation. “These initiatives should maintain sustained cement demand in the medium term, despite uncertainties linked to the general elections scheduled for October 2025,” the report stated.

In Congo, however, sales stagnated at 446,000t in the first half of 2025 due to logistical challenges that limited exports, despite the resumption of public projects.

Looking ahead, Dangote Cement is moving forward with its long-delayed expansion in Cameroon. Bertrand Mbouck, General Manager of Dangote Cement Cameroon, confirmed that construction of a second plant had officially commenced after receiving government approval. The project, first announced in 2015 by Group CEO Aliko Dangote, was originally given a 20-month duration.

Gabon: The Council of Ministers, chaired by Head of State Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, has announced a ban on the import of clinker from 1 January 2027, according to Gabon Actu news. Local clinker production ceased in 2014, leaving Gabon dependent on imports to supply cement for construction projects. The president said that the reliance on foreign clinker has placed a burden on the trade balance and hindered infrastructure development.

Authorities said that the decision is part of a broader strategy to promote economic autonomy and revive national industry. The government expects clinker production to restart within a year, with support from industrial partners and available domestic resources.

Egypt: The government has announced a series of measures to stabilise the cement market following a period of price increases, according to Ahram Online. Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel El-Wazir announced steps to boost production, limit exports and introduce transparent pricing.

At the end of August 2025, El-Wazir met with major cement producers, regulators and chambers of commerce and called for further price reductions, alongside continuous production, and said that eight idle production lines would be restarted. Local cement production reached 25.39Mt between January and July 2025, up from 23.3Mt a year earlier. With demand expected to grow both domestically and abroad, the government has signalled that it may issue new licences for cement factories. Among the government’s new measures are requiring companies to print the anticipated retail price on cement bags at least one month in advance to protect customers from sudden price fluctuations.

Algeria: The Souakri Group has signed a one-year agreement with a Libyan partner to supply cement by land and sea during the Intra-African Trade Fair in Algiers. The deal is valued at US$51m. Contracts signed at the fair, between Algerian and and other African companies totalled over US$300m, according to local press.

Algeria: Holcim El Djazaïr announced that more than 40% of its cement exports are directed to African markets. The company said that it accounts for 35% of the country’s cement sector exports, equivalent to 3.4Mt/yr.

The producer said in a press release that it is supported by an ambitious investment policy aimed at making Algeria an African cement hub. This includes increasing plant storage capacity, creating port loading facilities, building new storage infrastructure near ports and deploying a dedicated road fleet to strengthen its export logistics chain.

Nigeria: BUA Group has condemned the killing of eight Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) operatives and a civilian driver in an armed attack near its cement plant in Okpella, Edo State, on 5 September 2025.

According to The Premium Times newspaper, the personnel were escorting five Chinese nationals back to the facility after a routine patrol when gunmen suspected to be kidnappers ambushed the convoy. The assailants opened fire, killing the operatives and driver.

Four of the Chinese nationals were rescued by NSCDC operatives, while one was abducted. Four other NSCDC members were injured and are now reportedly receiving treatment.

“BUA is deeply saddened by the attack of Friday 5 September 2025, in which eight operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and a civilian driver lost their lives near our Okpella facility in Edo State. We note with grave concern the abduction of a foreign expatriate, even as four others were rescued unharmed. We are working closely with security agencies to ensure the safe return of the abducted and to bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice,” the company said in a statement.

Kenya: Cement production rose by 17% year-on-year to 4.85Mt in the first half of 2025 from 4.14Mt in the same period of 2024, according to The Kenyan Wall Street newspaper. Monthly output surpassed 0.8Mt consistently from March to June 2025, the first four-month streak above that level since July to November 2023. May 2025 was the strongest month, with 0.85Mt produced.

Cement consumption grew by 22% to 4.76Mt in the first half of 2025 from 3.90Mt in 2024. Consumption peaked in May 2025 at 0.83Mt, the highest monthly level since August 2023, supported by housing, infrastructure and commercial construction demand.

Morocco: Cement deliveries by members of the Professional Association of Cement Manufacturers (APC) reached 9.6Mt by the end of August 2025, up by 10% from 8.7Mt in the same period in 2024, according to the Ministry of National Territorial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and Urban Policy.

In August 2025, APC members delivered 1.3Mt of cement, a 7% rise from 1.2Mt in 2024. APC members include Asment Temara, Ciments de l’Atlas, Ciments du Maroc, LafargeHolcim Maroc and Novacim.

Cameroon: Cement producer Entreprise Générale Industrielle (EGIN) has obtained US$10.3m in financing from the Central African Development Bank (BDEAC) to expand production and storage capacity at its Douala grinding plant, according to News du Camer. Managing director Kaiafas Georges Kyriakos and BDEAC president Dieudonné Evou Mekou signed the agreement in Douala.

In its 2023 annual report, BDEAC announced that it had provided initial financing for the implementation of this project, estimated at a total of US$33.7m. EGIN entered the cement business in 2017 under the Lion brand.

BDEAC said the new support is part of its wider US$56.4m financing package for projects across the sectors of cement, reinforcing steel, hospitality and logistics.