August 2025

Iran: Austria’s Fronius Solar Energy has installed an inverter for the 1.5MW photovoltaic solar plant at Shahrekord Cement Company’s plant. The engineering firm supplied its Fronius Symo 76 product for the site situated at 2300m above sea level that experiences a wide variation in ambient temperature between -10°C and 50°C. Using this system, the cement producer has achieved a total yield of 2953MWhr/yr, which it feeds back to the grid. The operator is also able to monitor the system using the Fronius Solar web analysis tool and it is using the provider’s Service Partner programme for ongoing support.

Qatar: Qatar National Cement Company (QNCC) plans to open its fifth cement plant in the first half of 2018. The move will increase its cement production capacity of 5500t/day, according to the Qatar Tribune newspaper. However, its sales of cement fell slightly to 3.4Mt in 2017 from 3.7Mt in 2016.

The cement producer’s sales revenue fell by 9.6% year-on-year to US$283m in 2017 from US$313m in 2016. Its net profit decreased by 31% to US$90m from US$130m. The company blamed the falling profit on a poor local economy causing poor demand and a reduced selling price since April 2017.

Colombia: Cementos Argos and Ibines Ferreo have been helping the National Agency for Infrastructure run freight train tests on the 257km railway line between Bogota and Belencito. To show that the refurbished line can handle different loads, a train travelled from Cementos Argos' Sogamoso plant in the department of Boyaca to Bogota, according to the Portafolio newspaper. It carried 204t of cement at an estimated speed of 20km/hr.

ANI has invested US$73.3m in the refurbishment of rail infrastructure between Bogota and the Boyaca department. Sections of track repaired by ANI between Bogota and Boyaca include La Caro-Zipaquira, Bogota-Facatativa and Bogota-Belencito. The line stopped operating due to damage caused by winter storms in 2010 and 2011.

Nigeria: Ashaka Cement plans to complete its 16MW captive power plant in early 2019. The subsidiary of Lafarge Africa and LafargeHolcim started the US$30.5m project in 2017, according to the Nigerian Guardian newspaper. Once operational the power plant will supply additional electricity to the national grid as well as supplying the neighbouring cement plant.

Kenya: East Africa Portland Cement has gained re-certification for ISO 14001 on environmental management system, and OHSAS 18001 for occupational health and safety. Company official Simon Peter ole Nkeri said that the achievement was part of the company’s around strategy, according to the Business Daily newspaper. He added that the adoption of an environmental quality management system was a strategic decision to improve the company’s performance.

South Africa: Prudential Investment Managers, one of the largest shareholders of PPC, has demanded the resignation of the chairman Peter Nelson. The shareholder sent a formal request to the cement producer because it wants the company to improve its operations, according to sources quoted by Bloomberg. In response PPC issued a statement admitting that it was talking to major shareholders over board positions. However, it defended the record of Nelson, saying that he had, “successfully led the company through a period of significant headwinds.”

PPC added that it has received nominations for Jabu Moleketi as successor to the chairman, and Anthony Ball and Noluvuyo Mkhondo to non-executive directorships.

Nelson was appointed as chairman of PPC in October 2016, shortly before it revived merger talks with AfriSam. Later in 2017 Canada’s Fairfax Financial Holdings made a bid for PPC on condition that it merge with AfriSam. Negotiations with LafargeHolcim, CRH and Dangote Cement but these were all abandoned.

Russia: China CAMC Engineering is seeking international finance for an upgrade to the Zhiguli cement plant. The US$70m project was part of a wider US$175m contract with Eurocement signed in mid-2014 to upgrade three plants, according to Inside International Industrials. The building phase of the project is planned to last 36 months. The other plants in the project are the Pikalevo cement plant and the Savinski cement plant. China CAMC Engineering a subsidiary of China National Machinery Industry Corporation (Sinomach).

Bolivia/Paraguay: Bolivia’s Fábrica Nacional de Cemento (Fancesa) is planning to build a new cement grinding plant and terminal near the border with Paraguay. The project is budgeted at US$16m and it may be built as a joint venture, according to the Correo del Sur newspaper. The cement producer is also about to deliver its first consignment to Paraguay.

Colombia: Grupo Argos and Mexico’s Grupo Calidra have inaugurated a new US$40m lime plant at Puerto Triunfo, Antioquia. The unit has a production capacity of 90,000t/yr, according to the El Colombiano newspaper. The plant is the only one in Colombia capable of producing pulverized limestone. Grupo Argos and Grupo Calidra will operate the plant under a joint venture named Caltek. The new plant is expected to create 100 jobs.

Pakistan: Fecto Cement plans to build a new 6000t/day cement plant at Palai in Malakand. The project will also include a waste heat recovery unit.