September 2025

India: Heidelberg Materials subsidiary Zuari Cement has commissioned a 20t/hr alternative fuel (AF) production line at its 7.1Mt/yr Yerraguntla cement plant. The line includes an UNTHA XR3000C shredder. This will support continuous operations and turn waste to AF in a single step, according to Zuari Cement.

HeidelbergCement India technical director Vimal Jain said “We are passionate about driving environmental progress throughout our business, and the use of AF is one way to do that. But this waste-to-energy feedstock comes at a cost, which is why co-processing makes so much sense. When designing this plant, we needed to ensure versatility to allow for changing market conditions, and an investment in technology that makes commercial sense and is built to last.”

Philippines: Holcim plans for its subsidiary Holderfin to make a tender offer for all remaining shares in Holcim Philippines by 28 September 2023. Altogether, minority shareholders control a 5.1% stake in the producer. The Manila Bulletin newspaper has reported that Holderfin ended its previous tranche of tenders for Holcim Philippines shares on 30 August 2023.

Egypt: Suez Cement says that it has ‘merged its legacy’ with that of parent company Heidelberg Materials by adopting the latter’s name. Specifically, the replacement of ‘cement’ with ‘materials’ is intended to underline its pioneering role in the path to carbon neutrality and digitalisation, according to the company.

Chief executive officer Mohamed Hegazy said “We have always been and will continue to be a company that is much more than cement. We are progressive minds with the ambition to drive transformation. We push the boundaries to strengthen innovation and deepen partnerships with our customers and other stakeholders.”

Saudi Arabia: Meyar Company has bought the Malham cement products plant in Riyadh for US$880,000. Local press has reported that the company will use the facility to target the cement products market in the city of Riyadh. A ready-mix concrete batching plant is also located at the site.

Europe: The EU has awarded a Euro49.9m grant under its Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) to Taiwan Cement subsidiary Atlante. The cement group said that Atlante will use the funds to building a fast and ultra-fast electric vehicle charging network in Europe.

US: Çimsa and Sabancı Holding subsidiary Çimsa Americas plans to invest US$82m in the construction of a new 600,000t/yr grey cement grinding plant in the US. Daily Sabah News has reported that the company expects to complete the plant’s construction by the end of 2025.

Çimsa Americas already operates a 300,000t/yr white cement grinding plant in the US.

Nepal/India: Chaudhary Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a strategic partnership with India-based conglomerate Adani Group. According to the MoU, Adani Group will support the Nepal-based cement producer in its distribution of cement into neighbouring states of India.

The Kathmandu Post newspaper has reported that Chaudhary Group’s managing director Varun Chaudhary said "This collaborative effort stands as a pivotal milestone, underlining our commitment to augmenting economic cooperation and trade relations between the two nations.” He added “Through this strategic collaboration, we aspire to fortify the harmonious rapport that characterises the Nepal-India relationship, while actively contributing to the growth and development of the adjoining states."

Australia: Adbri has awarded ABx Group a contract to supply 90,000 – 120,000t of bauxite to its Birkenhead, South Australia, cement plant over a five-year period from early 2024. Business News has reported a ‘conservative’ estimated value for the contract of US$5.4m. ABx Group will supply bauxite from its DL130 mining project. The project commands 13.7Mt-worth of bauxite reserves across three deposits. Mining is due to begin in October 2023. The parties have agreed an undisclosed price for the first shipment of bauxite under the contract.

ABx Group managing director and CEO Mark Cooksey said "This represents a significant milestone for ABx and endorses the suitability of our bauxite for the broader cement industry. It enables both parties to plan for ongoing supply with confidence. Importantly, regular mining operations to supply Adbri will increase ABx's ability to secure additional customers, for which there are active discussions."

Australia: Germany-based Flender has opened a new production and services centre in Sydney, New South Wales. Its product offering will include Flender’s gearboxes and couplings range for industrial applications, including cement plants.

CEO Andreas Evertz said “For both our wind [turbine drives] and industrial business we see enormous growth potential on the continent. To reach the goals of the Paris climate agreement we must not only ramp up renewable energy capacities, but also transform our industries towards sustainability. This includes recycling and establishing a circular economy. Our workshops are perfectly equipped for servicing and refurbishing the existing installed base, not only for our own fleet but all gearbox types in the market.”

US: Texas-based Solidia Technologies has patented a synthetic pozzolan that may be used as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in cement production. The product is based on previously low-value materials, including minimally processed oil shales and clay minerals. Solidia Technologies produces the material by various methods, including firing the materials to yield a mix of crystalline components and activatable amorphous phase material. Alternatively, production may also involve the aqueous decomposition of manmade silicates in the presence of CO₂.