September 2025

Nepal: Ashden Environment and the United Nations Science, Technology and Innovation Forum have awarded Build Up Nepal their respective highest awards for its low-cement disaster-resistant concrete blocks. The Nepal Time newspaper has reported that the blocks contain a mix of 10% cement, 40% clay and 50% sand, all sourced from near Build Up Nepal’s Mitra Marg, Patang plant. The company has supplied its unique building materials to projects in 300 different communities, including the construction of 4500 homes. It says that the blocks, reinforced with iron rods, have a greater earthquake resistance than concrete.

Build Up Nepal said, “Interlocking brick is a highly suitable construction technology in Nepal, reducing the cost of construction as well as the carbon footprint of building a house. With this technology Nepal's houses can be stronger, more affordable and its air cleaner.”

Brazil: The National Cement Industry Union (SNIC) has estimated a 3.7% year-on-year increase in total cement sales to 26.9Mt in the first half of 2020 from 25.9Mt in the corresponding six months of 2019. Export sales rose by 56% to 84,000t from 54,000t. Sales increased by 7.7% month-on-month in June 2020, however SNIC president Paulo Camillo Penna expressed worries about demand going forward into the second half of 2020.

“The cement industry is responsible for more than 70,000 jobs, generates an income US$4.94bn and an annual net collection of US$562m. We are very sensitive to the macroeconomic scenario and government stimuli. For this reason, the cement industry is anxiously awaiting the launch of the new government housing project, ’Casa Verde Amarela,’ which is expected to leverage the real estate and renovation market more strongly, and restarting works on 100,000 housing units,” said Penna.

Peru: Domestic cement sales were 500,000t in June 2020, down by 59% year-on-year from 984,000t in June 2019. La República newspaper has reported that sales were nonetheless at their highest since the start of the coronavirus lockdown, up by 45% month-on-month from 343,000t in May 2020 and by 4100% from 12,000t in April 2020. Phase two of post-lockdown economic reactivation began in 2020, with the start of works related to public investment and public-private partnerships.

France: UK-based Carbon8 Systems has announced plans for the commercial implementation of its carbon capture and use (CCU) system at Vicat’s Montalieu integrated cement plant in France. It follows successful demonstration projects at cement plants in the UK and Canada.

The company’s CO₂ntainer product will be deployed directly onsite at the plant and integrated into Vicat's existing industrial processes. It will capture CO₂ directly from the plant's flue gas emissions and use this as part of its Accelerated Carbonisation Technology (ACT) process. This accelerates the carbonation of cement bypass dust into lightweight aggregates. In its first phase of operation it will process and convert up to 12,000t of cement bypass dust.

Colombia: Cementos Argos says that 70% of its total cement orders between 1 January 2020 and 9 July 2020 were placed online via its Argos One automated booking, order management and delivery monitoring platform. The platform handled 81% of orders of cement in the Dominican Republic, 39% in the US, 34% in Honduras and 19% in Panama. The company said, “Argos One has become even more relevant in the current context and will continue to evolve in function to continue its purpose of providing extraordinary solutions to clients.”

Mexico: Two workers died after falling in a crane basket from a height of 35m at Cooperativa La Cruz Azul’s integrated Oaxaca cement plant in El Barrio de Soledad Municipality. Noticias Financieras newspaper has reported that the victims died on impact and that the causes are under investigation.

China: Henan Province has announced a planned rise in water and energy tariffs for cement producers that fail to meet current emissions standards and clean transportation requirements. Reuters News has reported that companies subject to the measures will pay US$0.07 – US$0.14/m3 more for water and up to US$0.01/kWh more for electricity. Henan enacted ‘ultra-low’ emissions limits of 10Mg/Nm³ of dust, 50Mg/Nm3 of NO_x and 100Mg/Nm³ of SO₂ in 2018. Cement plants in the province produce 105Mt/yr of cement.

Myanmar: Young Investment Group Industry Company Limited (YIGICL) has entered into a joint venture with China-based China Gezhouba Group Cement (CGGC) and China Gezhouba Group Overseas Investment (CGGOI) with the aim of establishing an integrated cement plant in Mandalay, Mandalay region. The joint venture, which is held 30:70 by YIGICIL and the Chinese partners respectively, will also set up a limestone mine.

India: The Bureau of Indian Standards has granted a licence to Counto Microfine Products (CMP), a joint venture of Ambuja Cements and medical company Alcon Group, for the production of micro-fine Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) cement. The Times of India newspaper has reported that CMP operates a grinding plant in the state of Goa.

Pakistan: Lucky Cement is using its trucks to deliver food to those eligible for disaster relief under the government’s Ehsaas emergency ration scheme. Pakistan Press International has reported that since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis Lucky Cement has made food 8000 deliveries to affected people in rural Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Sindh. The company said, “We are further expanding our muscle to support more deserving families across Pakistan.”