Vietnam: The country exported 19.8Mt of cement and clinker worth US$745m in the first seven months of 2025, up by 9% in volume and 7% in value year-on-year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs. The Philippines remained the largest buyer with 3.87Mt worth US$147m, accounting for nearly 20% of total shipments. However, exports to this market fell by 17% in volume and 21% in value compared to 2024. Bangladesh ranked second with 3.53Mt worth US$116m, while Taiwan and Malaysia followed, each importing more than 850,000t.

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.

India: JK Cement has commenced construction of a US$340m greenfield cement plant in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The new facility, spread across 212 hectares, is scheduled for completion by early 2027. The plant will reportedly ensure long-term raw material security through access to local limestone reserves, while also being close to high-demand markets in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana.

India: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has approved a reduction in GST on cement, lowering the rate from 28% to 18%. The new rate will come into effect from 22 September 2025, a move expected to reduce capital costs for infrastructure projects and improve cash flows for developers. The structural boost is expected to accelerate cement demand growth to 8–9% per year over the next two financial years from 6-8% previously estimated.

Argentina: Cement despatches in August 2025 totalled 0.89Mt, down by 0.4% year-on-year from August 2024, according to the AFCP. Volumes fell by 0.2% month-on-month.

However, cumulative despatches from January to August 2025 reached 6.59Mt, an 8% increase from 6.08Mt in the same period of 2024. Cement imports in August 2025 stood at 298t, taking the year-to-date total to 1597t.

Vietnam: Vinh Long Province has called on national ministries to introduce preferential policies to encourage the use of coal ash and slag from the Duyen Hai thermal power centre as construction materials, reports The Saigon Times. According to the Vietnam Cement Association, coal ash and slag from thermal power plants have been certified by the Institute for Building Materials under the Ministry of Construction as suitable for use as cement additives, which could reportedly help to ease shortages of construction materials while addressing the disposal of industrial waste in landfills.

The provincial People’s Committee has proposed that the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Finance issue mechanisms that prioritise coal ash and slag over natural resources in traffic and civil construction projects. It also called on the Ministry of Science and Technology to work with agencies to review and update technical standards for using thermal power by-products. By the end of 2024, 4.37Mt of coal ash and slag had accumulated at the Duyen Hai thermal power centre in Vinh Long. Nearly 700,000t more has been generated since January 2025.

Europe: PyroGenesis has signed a US$871,000 contract with a European cement industry customer to supply a plasma torch system for a calciner. The client’s name has not been disclosed for competitive and confidentiality reasons. The system will replace fossil fuel-based heating with plasma technology to provide a ‘cleaner, more efficient’ method for high-temperature calcination, according to the company. Delivery is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.

Ireland/UK: Mannok has completed Phase 1 of a two-phase upgrade to its pyroprocessing system with the installation of a new satellite burner in collaboration with FLSmidth. The €2.5m project enables the use of solid recovered fuel (SRF) as a replacement for coal, achieving up to 30% substitution and reducing CO₂ emissions by 23,000t/yr.

Phase 2 will involve upgrading the main burner to a Jetflex system, targeting 65–70% coal substitution across the kiln. Mannok produces about 1.4Mt/yr of cement for customers across the UK and Ireland.

Japan: Mitsubishi UBE Cement Corporation (MUCC), Osaka Gas, Daigas Energy and Saibu Gas have successfully tested natural gas co-firing at MUCC’s Kyushu Plant in the Kurosaki area. Using a newly developed burner, the companies replaced 40% of coal with natural gas at commercial scale without affecting kiln stability, product quality or environmental performance.

The burner was developed using MUCC’s coal combustion expertise alongside Osaka Gas and Daigas Energy’s gas combustion and simulation technologies, with Saibu Gas supplying natural gas from LNG tank trucks. MUCC said the trial paves the way for full-scale implementation and supports future use of e-methane in cement kilns.

MUCC aims to cut CO₂ emissions by 40% by 2030, compared to 2013 levels, and achieve group-wide carbon neutrality by 2050 under its medium-term management strategy “Infinity with Will 2025 – MUCC Sustainable Plan 1st STEP.”

Nepal: The Supreme Court has issued a landmark directive requiring industries within 15km of Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha, to relocate or shut down within two years to preserve the UNESCO World Heritage site. The ruling directly affects around 15 companies, including Arghakhanchi Cement, Jagdamba Cement and Brij Cement, according to The New Business Age newspaper.

The Court annulled earlier government decisions that allowed industrial activity in the area, declaring that protecting Lumbini’s sanctity was of global cultural and spiritual importance. It also prohibited capacity expansion or capital investment in existing plants and reaffirmed a 2009 resolution banning new carbon-emitting industries near the site.

Bishnu Prasad Neupane, chair of the Saurabh Group, which operates Jagdamba Cement, said that compensation must extend beyond land value if the relocation becomes mandatory, noting that US$142–212m has already been invested in the affected industries. Neupane also said “Grinding units do not burn coal or release carbon emissions. We have installed dust-control systems. Claims that dust travels 15km to reach Lumbini are unfounded.”