September 2025

India: UltraTech Cement increased its cement sales volumes by 20% to 30Mt in the first quarter of the 2024 financial year. Press Trust of India News has reported that the producer sold 950,000t of cement outside of India, up by 13% from 840,000t a year earlier.

During the year, UltraTech Cement recorded a capacity utilisation rate of 90% across its 136Mt/yr capacity.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines and Sungshin Cement have signed a memorandum of understanding whereby Holcim Philippines will be priority supplier of cement for use in Sungshin Cement's ready-mix concrete operations in the Philippines, InPR News has reported. South Korea-based Sungshin is anticipating growing demand from infrastructure projects, partly due to a US$3bn development loan agreement between the government of the Philippines and South Korea.

US: The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has fined Dragon Products for failure to comply with mine safety rules. The Maine Monitor newspaper has reported that inspectors issued 33 citations following an inspection of its quarry in May 2023.

Thomaston cement plant manager Jennifer Small said that the citations primarily relate to 'housekeeping,' and that the company has 'promptly addressed these citations and worked closely with the MSHA to improve plant safety.'

Dragon Products, a subsidiary of Giant Cement, paid mine safety fines worth US$150,000 in 2022, US$76,700 in 2021 and US$134,000 in 2020.

Philippines: Holderfin, an existing 18% shareholder in Holcim Philippines, has acquired an additional 9.2% stake in the company from Japan-based Sumitomo Osaka Cement. This raises its control over Holcim Philippines to more than 27%. As a result of the deal, the proportion of publicly held shares in the cement producer fell to 5%. PhilStar News has reported that Holcim Philippines is now possibly seeking to delist from the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

The producer said “Holderfin informed the company that if the company will be unable to issue additional shares to the public sufficient to raise its public float to the required level, Holderfin is prepared to make a tender offer for all outstanding common shares of the company held by the public with the aim of subsequently conducting a voluntary delisting of the company’s common shares from the Main Board of the PSE.”

World: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has named the 15 anticipated deliverers of low-CO₂ cement and concrete production shortlisted for participation in its second Innovandi Open Challenge. The association chose the start-ups based on their potential to deliver CO₂ emissions reduction in the global cement and concrete sector in line with its Concrete Future 2050 Net Zero Roadmap. The applicants are presenting their pitches to GCCA members on 30 June 2023. All those accepted will gain access to members' plants, labs, networks and expertise. The following start-ups made the Innovandi Open Challenge 2023 shortlist:

GCCA cement director and innovation lead Claude Loréa said “We received more than 70 quality applications, so drawing up a shortlist was challenging." Loréa continued "Our essential industry needs something easily scalable and affordable. Those start-ups on the list demonstrated the most potential, and we look forward to hearing more about their ideas. But we’ll also be keeping in touch with other start-ups who didn’t make this year’s shortlist, with future projects in mind.”

India: Shree Cement has entered trial cement production at its new 3Mt/yr Purulia grinding plant in West Bengal. The site is the company’s first manufacturing plant in the state, according to the Times of India newspaper. Reuters has reported that the Purulia plant will raise Shree Cement's total installed capacity by 6.4% to 49.9Mt/yr. The producer invested US$67m in the facility, and raised the funds for it through internal accruals.

Managing director Neeraj Akhoury said "The plant has also allowed us to bring more jobs to Bengal, as well as showcase our advanced production systems which meet stringent environment norms." Akhoury indicated that the producer aims to raise its installed capacity by 60% to 80Mt/yr by the end of the 2028 financial year.

UK: Breedon Cement commenced a 24-hour trial of graphene-enhanced cement production at its Hope Cement plant in Derbyshire on 28 June 2023. The trial advances the work of a consortium led by Australia-based First Graphene. It is using existing grinding aid dosage lines, with minimal adjustment required. Breedon Cement and its partners aim to produce 2000t of graphene-enhanced cement, using 1.2t of PureGRAPH 50. Graphene-Info News has reported that Breedon Cement will supply concrete produced under the trial to Morgan Sindall Construction for use in its building projects. The University of Manchester is also participating in the consortium.

Breedon Cement managing director Jude Lagan said “The role graphene can play in helping to decarbonise the cement industry could be significant, and we are keen to contribute to this process by facilitating what is set to be one of the largest global trials of this kind.”

UK: Material Evolution raised US$19m in a Series A funding round to scale production of its 85% reduced-CO₂ cement. Material Evolution produces cement at ambient temperature using its own ambient fusion process. Its inputs consist of industrial wastes and feedstocks. Tech Crunch News has reported that venture capital firm Kompas VC led the funding, with participation from fellow venture capital firms Norrsken VC and Circle Rock Capital, as well as quarried materials producer SigmaRoc.

Material Evolution's CEO Elizabeth Gilligan said “Fusion technology has been hailed as the way to meet humanity’s energy needs for millions of years, whilst emitting no CO₂ or other greenhouse gases."

Philippines: Metal and ores producer Global Ferronickel Holdings (FNI) plans to invest in clinker production operations. The company has indicated that it will also begin producing limestone to supply any clinker plants that it builds. The Manila Bulletin newspaper has reported that FNI's plans also include new ventures into value-added processing, including through the establishment of a ferronickel processing plant and nickel matte processing facility.

India: Ramco Cements has commissioned a 3000t/day integrated cement line at its Ramamasamy Raja Nagar cement plant in Tamil Nadu. Projects Today News has reported that the plant runs on renewable energy from a captive wind farm, and recycles 90% of water used in production.

Ramco Cements produces Ramco 53 Infra Super cement at the Ramamasamy Raja Nagar plant. The product allows for lower cement and admixture content to be used in the production of concrete structures.