August 2025

Malaysia: Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS) has responded positively to the government’s announcement that it will be subdividing its annual contracts for road maintenance between new concessionaries besides CMS’s 51% subsidiary PPES Works in 2020. “Competition in any market naturally breads competitive efficiency. This can only be good for the public and road users,” said CMS Group Managing Director Isaac Lugun. “We maintain the lion’s share,” he added.

US: Ireland’s CRH’s subsidiary Ash Grove Cement has engaged the education technology services provider Zovio Employer Services for the development of its higher education opportunities programme in partnership with Ashford University. “This provides employees with access to education to gain the right skill-set to advance into management positions. We also see the programme as a tool to attract new talent,” said Darcy Pugh, Ash Grove Cement Employment and Compensation Manager. Ash Grove plans to offer a tuition assistance benefit to 3000 employees for bachelor’s or master’s degrees at Ashford University. The university will also provide some full tuition grants.

Uzbekistan: Russia’s Eurocement has revealed that construction work underway at its 2.0Mt/yr integrated Akhangarancement cement plant in Tahskent region includes the installation of a second plant on the site, bringing its total capacity to 5.0Mt/yr. Trend News Agency has reported that suppliers have delivered 4500t of machinery to Akhangarancement, including a clinker refrigerator, clinker conveyor and heat exchanger as well as electrical equipment and building materials for a raw materials warehouse. Eurocement’s total investment in the project has amounted to US$200m.

Eurocement Group Holding International president Mikhail Skorohod said, “Taking into account the growing needs of the Uzbek market in building materials, Eurocement is committed to creation of a building materials cluster based around the Akhangarancement plant.” The company said that the upgraded 5.0Mt/yr plant would become operational in 2020.

Bangladesh: HeidelbergCement Bangladesh has announced the completion of its acquisition of Emirates Cement and Emirates Power from UltraTech Cement Middle East Investment. Financial Express has reported the value of the deal as US$21.5m.

Egypt: Alexandria Development Ltd, which owns an 88.93% stake in Alexandria Portland Cement, has submitted an offer for the remaining 11.07% of the company. In a statement to the Egyptian Exchange it stated its intention to delist Alexandria Portland Cement after completing its acquisition of the latter. Alexandria Development Ltd’s indirect owner is Greece-based Titan Cement.

Algeria: Algeria’s estimated value of exported cement in 2019 is US$60m, up by 200% from US$20m in 2018. Algerian Trade Minister Saïd Djellab noted increases to grinding capacity in Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Gabon and Mali as a potential source of revenue from clinker exports, according to L’Expression. “Algeria can meet the needs of these markets and become their leading supplier of clinker in 2020.” The minister estimated that the total value of cement and clinker exports ‘will reach US$400m by 2021.’

India: Demonstrations are underway at the gates of Uma Cement Industries’ Udhampur plant. Early Times has reported the cause as the alleged laying off of drivers without legal cause or notice. Drivers’ union president Rakesh Raina alleged harassment by Uma Cement Industries as well as irresponsible practices in forcing employees to drive overloaded vehicles.

Spain: Brazilian-based Votorantim Cimentos’ subsidiary Cementos Cosmos has received authorisation for the combustion of tyres to fuel the kilns at its 1.6Mt/yr Toral de los Vados plant in León. Diario del León has reported that the government of Castile and León will complete bureaucratic procedures finalising the permit before 25 December 2019.

India: UltraTech’s 3.2Mt/yr integrated Rajashree plant in Aditya Nagar, Karnataka received its first petcoke delivery by rail, dispatched from Mangalore Refinery Private Limited (MRPL)’s new mechanised handling facility. The installation cost US$23.4m and can load 3600t of coke at a time into 59 cars, enabling it to process MRPL’s refinery’s 1.0Mt/yr quickly and in a way that reduces the load on road transport.

Spain: Cement Portland Valderrivas’ 1.6Mt/yr integrated Alcalá de Guadiara plant in Andalusia one of five participants in an initiative for the prevention of operational risks called ‘Share It PRL.’ The initiative entails implementation of integrated business activity coordination software and communication stations throughout the Alcalá de Guadiara plant.