Japan: Mitsubishi UBE Cement (MUCC), in collaboration with seven other companies, has been commissioned by the Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) to conduct a survey of the carbon capture and storage (CCS) project for the Southern Offshore Malay Peninsula in the 2024 financial year. This work is part of the ‘Engineering Design Work for Advanced CCS Projects’ and will study the CCS value chain from CO₂ captured from the cement industry in the Kyushu, Chugoku and Kinki regions, to the transport and storage of the liquefied CO₂ for geological in the southern offshore Malay peninsula, currently under development. MUCC will be responsible for the CCS processes at its Ube cement plant.

Canada: Heidelberg Materials has invested in EnviCore, a Canada-based startup that is developing low-carbon solutions. Together, the companies will focus on increasing the use of recycled construction and demolition materials as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM). This collaboration includes planning a pilot SCM production facility near one of Heidelberg Materials' recycling hubs, pending an upcoming feasibility study. Heidelberg Materials has also acquired a minority stake in EnviCore.

Katharina Beumelbur, chief sustainability and new technologies officer and member of the managing board of Heidelberg Materials, said “EnviCore’s novel approach has the potential to unlock new possibilities of increasing the amount of recycled materials we use in our products. This could pave the way to further reduce our need for virgin materials, contributing towards preserving valuable natural resources and protecting our environment.”

China: Anhui Conch Cement (Conch Group) and AVIC International Beijing have entered a strategic agreement to combine their expertise and promote technological solutions for decarbonising cement production. The partnership will leverage Conch Group's experience in cement production and equipment manufacturing with AVIC International Beijing subsidiary KHD Humboldt Wedag International (KHD)'s expertise in equipment and engineering. The collaboration aims to expand their cooperation to include building AI-powered, smart and ‘green’ research and development platforms overseas. This will involve modernising traditional cement plants and enhancing operation and maintenance services.

Additionally, the Conch Technology and Industry Research Institute will work with AVIC International Beijing and KHD to apply cement decarbonisation technologies, such as calcined clay, oxyfuel clinker lines and electro-calcining, on an industrial scale at selected Conch production lines.

Indonesia: Suvo Strategic Minerals has reported successful laboratory tests in collaboration with Makassar State University (UNM) in Indonesia, transforming nickel slag into a ‘high-strength, low-cost and low-carbon’ cement, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The trials used slag from PT Huadi Nickel-Alloy Indonesia's operations in South Sulawesi, achieving a compressive strength of 37.5MPa after seven days. The company is now looking to conduct further testing and will provide the results to PT Huadi, with the aim of forming a partnership for the commercialisation of low-carbon cement using nickel slag.

Aaron Bank, executive chair of Suvo Strategic Minerals, said “We are excited to have commenced this workstream in Indonesia testing the byproduct of one of the country’s largest mining companies, with our ultimate goal being to manufacture an environmentally-friendly and low-carbon alternative to Portland cement. Achieving up to 37.5MPa after only seven days is an outstanding first round trial result for the company and could provide an entry into a large industry.”

Vietnam: According to data from the General Statistics Office, Vietnam produced 134.5Mt of cement in the first nine months of 2024, marking a 2% rise year-on-year. In September 2024, the country's cement output reached 15.3Mt, up by 9% compared to September 2023.

Greece: ThyyssenKrupp Polysius has signed a front-end engineering design contract with Titan Group for the Ifestos carbon capture project at Titan’s Kamari cement plant. The project will equip the plant’s two kilns with oxyfuel systems to reduce CO₂ emissions by 1.9Mt/yr, ‘almost completely’, said ThyssenKrupp. The captured CO₂ is then liquefied and transported to a permanent storage site in the Mediterranean region. Full operation is expected by the end of 2029.

Cetin Nazikkol, chief strategy officer at ThyssenKrupp Decarbon Technologies, said “With the oxyfuel technology we have developed, around 1.9Mt/yr of CO₂ can be captured at the Kamari plant alone. This corresponds to around 12% of greenhouse gas emissions from all Greek industries. We are thus making a significant contribution to one of the largest CO₂ capture projects in Europe.”

Christian Myland, CEO of ThyssenKrupp Polysius, said “For our customer Titan Group, we will be using the latest CO₂ separation technology. We will design and equip the first kiln line with the proven oxyfuel technology. When modernising the second kiln line, the latest generation of this technology will be used with the pure oxyfuel system. Overall, this will enable us to capture almost 100% of CO₂ emissions.”

Saudi Arabia: In 2023, Saudi cement and clinker exports exceeded 8.48Mt. According to Al Riyadh news, the country ranks 10th globally with a production capacity of over 80Mt/yr from 20 plants. Local demand for cement reached 47.3Mt in 2023, with construction sector spending expected to hit US$1.6tn by 2030.

Minister of industry and mineral resources Bandar Alkhorayef said "The cement sector in the Kingdom has a promising future, with several leading companies constantly adopting the latest manufacturing technologies, helping to improve production efficiency. Recently, some companies have been active in upgrading and replacing some of their production lines to enhance quality."

Pakistan: Cement exports from Pakistan significantly increased in September 2024, rising by 71% year-on-year to 0.98Mt, compared to 0.57Mt in September 2023. Despite this growth in exports, domestic cement sales continued to decline, falling by 18% in September 2024. Overall, cement sales for the month decreased by 5.6%, totalling 3.54Mt compared to 3.75Mt in September 2023. From July to September 2024, domestic sales were down by 20%, totalling 8.13Mt, while exports rose by 22%, reaching 2.14Mt.

India: Shree Cement has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to support startups in India's manufacturing sector. This partnership aligns with the government's ‘Make in India’ vision to encourage domestic manufacturing and build a self-reliant economy. Through this collaboration, startups will gain access to Shree Cement’s industrial expertise, network and resources, which will help them scale their operations and develop solutions. This initiative is expected to create new job opportunities, boost local production and reduce import dependency.

Philippines: Cemex Philippines has extended Aboitiz Construction’s contract to provide technical services for the commissioning of the upcoming Line 4 of its Antipolo City cement plant in Rizal. The Manila Times newspaper has reported that the new date on which the contract will conclude is in December 2024.

Aboitiz Construction chief operating officer Ramez Sidhom said "Our recent partnership with Cemex Philippines demonstrates our commitment to execution excellence and affirms our ability to provide reliable maintenance solutions while prioritising safety and quality of work.”