France: Lafarge France has ignited the new kiln at its Martres-Tolosane cement plant following a Euro120m upgrade. Local press has reported that the upgrade replaced the plant’s existing kilns and preheater tower with entirely new equipment. The new kiln has tripled the plant’s capacity, to 2.1Mt/yr from 0.7Mt/yr. Meanwhile, the new preheater tower will help to reduce the plant’s electricity consumption by over 20%. As a result of the upgrade, the Martres-Tolosane plant can now support an alternative fuels (AF) substitution rate of 60%, compared to 20% beforehand. Lafarge France aims to carry out further work to reach 85% AF substitution at the plant by 2027. Other planned projects include the installation of a carbon capture system.

Lafarge France chief executive officer François Petry said “We are going to create a research and innovation centre here dedicated to the capture of CO₂, with the ambition of ultimately making the Martres-Tolosane plant net zero carbon.”

China: China National Building Material (CNBM) says that its subsidiary Gansu Qilianshan Cement has issued shares. Reuters has reported that CNBM stated the reason for the issuance is ‘asset acquisition’ as part of the group’s on-going restructuring.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines has appointed I Squared Capital subsidiary Berde Renewables to build, maintain and operate two rooftop solar power plants, at its Bulacan and La Union cement plants, respectively. The solar power plants will have a combined capacity of 7.8GWh/yr and reduce Holcim Philippines’ CO2 emissions by 5500t/yr. The Business Mirror newspaper has reported that the projects advance the producer’s aim to reduce its energy-related CO2 emissions by 65% between 2018 and 2030.

Holcim Philippines president and CEO Horia Adrian noted the 20% reduction in overall CO¬2 emissions that the company has already achieved up to 2022 and said “This project further strengthens our ability to support Holcim's net zero direction and the country's nationally determined contributions.”

India: JK Cement has advanced its diversification into the energy sector with four new acquisitions. The Free Press Journal has reported that the cement producer has signed agreements to acquire stakes in CleanMax Matahari, Fourth Partner Energy, Nay Energy and Renewable Energy V.

Vietnam: The government recorded growth of 0.3% year-on-year in exports of cement and clinker from Vietnam during the first 10 months of 2023. They ended the period at a cumulative 26.2Mt, compared to 25.9Mt a year earlier. Việt Nam News has reported that the value of exports fell by 2.4%, to US$1.13bn.

Uzbekistan: The State Statistics Committee has reported that cement plants produced 9.2Mt of cement during the first nine months of 2023, up by 5.9% year-on-year from the corresponding period of 2022. The Uzbek Building Materials Producers’ Association says that the new 1.4Mt/yr Karakalpak cement plant will further add to full-year production volumes in 2023 when it comes online later in the year.

Qatar: The board of directors of Qatar National Cement has approved the proposed sale of the company’s Cement Plant No. 1 in Umm Bab, Al-Shahaniya Municipality. Reuters has reported the plant’s buyer as Arab International Metal Trading.

India: UltraTech Cement announced planned new capital expenditure (CAPEX) investments worth US$1.56bn to grow its production capacity, beginning in the 2026 financial year (1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026). The Telegraph newspaper has reported that the growth will expand UltraTech Cement’s capacity by 13% to 187Mt. 33.8Mt-worth of this (18%) will be in its native West India, 40.4Mt-worth (22%) in East India, 36.2Mt-worth (19%) in North India, 35.7Mt-worth (19%) in Central India and 35.5Mt-worth (19%) in Central India, with the remainder situated overseas. The new capacity consists of four new production facilities and four upgrades to existing facilities, supported by four new cement terminals. The producer says that it will come online in a phased manner, up to an unspecified end date.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, chair of parent company Aditya Birla, said "Over the past seven years, UltraTech has strategically invested over US$6bn to support India's rapidly changing infrastructure landscape. Our fresh commitment of US$1.56bn underscores our deep-rooted belief in India's economic potential. With each investment, we have not only expanded our footprint, but also empowered India in meeting its need for housing, roads and other vital infrastructure."

US: Holcim US will invest US$100m in an expansion to raise its Ste. Genevieve cement plant’s capacity by 15% to 4.6Mt/yr. The expansion will involve the installation of a fifth vertical roller mill (VRM) for cement grinding and a new mineral component addition system, alongside a rail-loadout expansion. The producer says that the expanded plant will have lower net CO₂ emissions than before. Construction is set to commence in 2024.

Toufic Tabbara, head of Holcim’s North America region, said “With an emphasis on achieving the highest levels of environmental performance and operational efficiency, Ste. Genevieve has been the leader in US cement manufacturing since it was built in 2009. This investment will ensure we maintain that leadership in supporting the sustainable growth of our nation’s infrastructure and residential construction while accelerating net carbon reduction across the built environment.”

China: Tangshan Jidong Cement recorded US$3.05bn in sales during the first nine months of 2023, down by 18% year-on-year from US$3.74bn during the first nine months of 2022. Its nine-month net loss was US$44m, against a profit of US$223m one year previously.