August 2025

Nigeria: BUA Group subsidiary BUA Cement has shared plans to establish a 3Mt/yr-capacity integrated cement plant in Guyuk, Adamawa State. The Sun newspaper has reported that the company also plans to establish a 50MW power plant in nearby Lamurde, also in Adamawa State. BUA Group chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu said, “We will use new technologies to supply power to the proposed cement plant and communities of Guyuk and Lamurde.” The state’s limestone deposits with provide the raw material for clinker production.

Zimbabwe: PPC Zimbabwe has announced that it has entered into a preliminary agreement with a Zimbabwe-based energy investor “with technical partners in South Africa” that will build and operate the company’s planned 32MW solar power plant in Matabeleland South. 16MW will power PPC Zimbabwe’s cement production and the rest will be fed in the national electricity grid, according to the Herald newspaper. The unit will be located adjacent to PPC Zimbabwe’s 0.5Mt/yr integrated Colleen Bawn plant.

US: Vicat subsidiary National Cement has received a fine of US$148,000 from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) for exceeding mercury emissions regulations over a 123-day period between May 2019 and February 2020 at its integrated Ragland plant in Alabama. The Daily Home newspaper has reported that unexpectedly high mercury levels in coal and other raw materials burned as fuel during that time caused the breach, which the company immediately reported to ADEM.

National Cement president Spencer Weitman said, “The issue took several months to fix.” Multiple upgrades and operational changes solved the issue, including installation of a US$400,000 mercury absorption carbon injection system. ADEM said, “National Cement did not economically benefit from the emissions violations.”

In January 2020 National Cement began work on construction of a new US$250m kiln line, due for completion in 2022.

Australia: US-based bauxite, alumina and aluminium producer Alcoa has said that it will not renew its US$48.5m/yr lime supply contract with Adelaide Brighton subsidiary Cockburn Cement following its expiry at the end of June 2020. Business News Western Australia has reported that the end of the 50-year contract puts between 40 and 50 jobs at risk at Cockburn Cement.

Adelaide Brighton chief executive officer (CEO) Nick Miller said, “We are disappointed with Alcoa's decision to displace a locally-manufactured product with imports from multiple sources. We will work quickly to mitigate the impact on local jobs supporting our lime business and we remain committed to supplying our Western Australia resources sector customers.”

India: JSW Group says that it will cease US$400m/yr worth of imports of Chinese equipment and materials due to Chinese military activities on the Sino-Indian border in Kashmir. Managing director Parth Jindal said, “The unprovoked attack by the Chinese on Indian soil, on our brave jawaans has been a huge wakeup call and a clarion call for action.”

India: JK Super Cement has signalled its support for the work of builders with the hash tag “#YehPuccaHai,” meaning, “This is strength.” The hash tag has now gone viral, garnering 25.5m social media shares, while the accompanying video has had 1.5m internet views.

Israel: The Environmental Protection Ministry (EPM) has granted Nesher-Israel Cement Enterprises a licence to substitute more refuse-derived fuels (RDF) for petcoke than was previously permitted at its 5Mt/yr integrated Ramle, Central District cement plant. The Times of Israel newspaper has reported that the licence also allows for greater metal emissions. The company said, “As is customary in the global cement industry, the Nesher plant in Ramle uses raw materials and alternative fuels, thus achieving a number of environmental goals, including reducing landfill, minimising the use of natural resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Zimbabwe: LafargeHolcim subsidiary Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe has reported a profit of US$178m in 2019, up by 4.8% year-on-year from US$170m in 2018. Inflation-adjusted sales rose doubled to US$919m from US$449m. Cement volumes remained level at 323,000t. The company said that it, “recorded its best financial performance in over five years. The construction of a US$2m dry mortar mixing plant was completed and installation of the equipment on site is set to be completed in the second half of 2020.”

Egypt: Suez Cement has recorded a loss of US$18.0m in the first three months of 2020, compared to a profit of US$11.0m in the first three months of 2019. Sales fell by 27% year-on-year to US$80.6m from US$110m in 2019. Domestic demand in relation to Egypt’s production overcapacity fell in March 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Daily News Egypt has reported that the second quarter 2020 results will carry greater losses for Suez Cement due to coronavirus lockdown measures and seasonal factors such as Ramadan, with cement volumes down by 27% year-on-year in May 2020.

Saudi Arabia: Najran Cement has announced that it has completed the repayment of a US$12m loan from Banque Saudi Fransi. Mubasher news has reported that the loan had been due for repayment in instalments in the first half of 2020. The cement producer retains US$94.6m in outstanding loans.