September 2025

India: JK Lakshmi Cement increased its full-year sales during the 2023 financial year to US$786m, up by 19% year-on-year from US$662m during the 2022 financial year. Over the same period, the producer's net profit dropped by 23% year-on-year to US$44.6m from US$57.7m. This was primarily due to a 24% rise in its total costs to US$722m from US$584m.

MoneyControl News has reported that JK Lakshmi Cement's vice chair and managing director Vinita Singhania said "Despite an unabated increase in the price of fuel, the company has been able to record satisfactory performance by increasing its efficiency parameters, optimising its product mix and geographies and focusing on several green initiatives."

Canada: A study led by Douglas Geoffrey in Calgary, Alberta, has patented a method of producing cement from calcium carbonate precipitated in the carbonation of brine. The method mixes the mineral with magnesium oxide and cures it to form cement.

Geoffrey noted that the brine may derive from multiple industrial processes, including fossil fuel and potash production, geothermal power generation and desalination.

Uzbekistan: United Cement Group (UCG) has planted 3200 saplings in Navoi Region under the government's Green Land initiative. Uzbekistan Daily News has reported that the Green Land initiative seeks to plant 1bn new trees and shrubs across the country between 2022 and 2026.

UCG subsidiary Qizilqumsement's general director Sergey Melnikov said “UCG has been actively involved in the Green Land project in cooperation with local authorities, environmental organisations and residents of the region. Concern for the ecology of the territory where the production is located is a trend of the modern cement industry, which is fully consistent with our internal policy and high environmental and social responsibility." He added "All plants of the holding are being modernised with regard to green technologies.”

Saudi Arabia: China-based Sinoma International Engineering has won an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build Southern Province Cement's upcoming Jizan cement plant, in the province of the same name. YiCai Global News has reported that the plant will have a capacity of 1.83Mt/yr. Commissioning is scheduled to follow 27 months after the start of construction. Sinoma International Engineering's contract covers installation of the entire line, from limestone crushing to cement bagging. The value of the work is US$300m.

Fellow CNBM subsidiary Sinoma Overseas Development previously won a US$220m contract with Yamama Cement for transferal of its Riyadh cement plant's new Line 7 from its old plant to its new location.

India: Indian industrial companies plan to increase their capital expenditure (CAPEX) investments by 14% year-on-year in the current, 2024, financial year, the Financial Express newspaper has reported. UltraTech Cement says that it will more than double its CAPEX investments to US$1.55bn during the year (1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024). Adani Green Energy, the renewable electricity subsidiary of Ambuja Cements' parent company Adani Group, has the highest planned investments of any Indian industrial company. It also plans to more than double its CAPEX spending, to US$1.69bn in the 2024 financial year.

Europe: Holcim plans to deploy 1000 new electric trucks in its operations across Europe before 2030. The cement producer ordered the vehicles from Sweden-based Volvo. Both companies are founding members of the First Movers Coalition low-CO₂ technology alliance. Holcim expects the initiative to reduce its annual CO₂ emissions from road transport by 50%. It will take delivery of the first new trucks by the end of 2023.

Chair and CEO Jan Jenisch said “The net zero transition requires deep collaboration across value chains. We are excited to be partnering with Volvo to decarbonise our European operations’ logistics with electric fleets, advancing our goal to reach 30% of zero-emission heavy-duty trucks by 2030.”

India: The government of Uttar Pradesh has awarded JK Cement US$4.15m as a concession for its construction of the 1.5Mt/yr Aligarh grinding plant. The Times of India newspaper has reported that the concession covers some of the producers' investments over a period between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2022.

JK Cement has invested a total sum of US$145m in projects in Uttar Pradesh, including US$60.6m of it in the on-going construction of its 2.5Mt/yr Prayagraj grinding plant.

India: The government of Andhra Pradesh broke ground on the construction of the 35.1Mt/yr-capacity Machilipatnam Port in Krishna District on 22 May 2023. The New Indian Express newspaper has reported that the project is scheduled for completion in mid-2025. When operational, the Port will handle despatches of cement and clinker by local producers.

US: Eagle Materials reported sales of US$2.1bn in 2022, up by 15% year-on-year from 2021 levels. The producer's earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 19% to US$782m. Its cement sales rose by 7% to US$1.1bn due to increased prices, despite a drop in volumes. Throughout the year, the company increased its production of Portland limestone cement (PLC).

President and CEO Michael Haack said "Looking ahead, we anticipate continued attractive fundamentals in our markets, despite headwinds relating to higher interest rates and affordability constraints in single-family residential construction. Among the favourable demand factors we expect will affect our results in future periods are projected funding increases for infrastructure projects and healthy demand for heavy industrial projects and multi-family residential construction. We remain well-positioned to capitalise on these conditions, given our geographical footprint across the (Central) US Heartland and fast-growing Sun Belt (Southern US) and our financial strength and flexibility."

India: Ramco Cements' sales were US$987m during the 2023 financial year, up by 36% year-on-year from US$726m during the 2022 financial year. The producer sold 15Mt of cement and dry mortar products, up by 36%. The Times of India newspaper has reported that the producer's profit after tax declined by 62% to US$41.5m from US$108m.

The producer expects that anticipated infrastructure investments and a 'normal' monsoon will maintain strong cement demand in India in the full-year 2023 financial year. It forecast growth in its profit margins from the second quarter of the 2024 financial year (July - September 2023) onward.