Zimbabwe: Bulawayo City Council has turned down Labenmon Investments' application to establish a cement grinding plant in Cowdray Park, citing ‘significant’ environmental risks. The plant had an expected output of 900,000t/yr. The council stated the proposed site's proximity to residential areas posed potential pollution hazards, leading to the suggestion of relocation to Umguza District. Concerns were also raised regarding the choice of a foreign company over local alternatives like PPC Cement.

UK: FLSmidth Cement has entered a cooperation with Carbon Re, a UK-based climate tech company, to integrate FLSmidth Cement’s process control software, PXP, with Carbon Re’s AI-powered cloud platform. This integration will provide cement producers with access to new process optimisation capabilities.

Global: Lhyfe and Fives have signed a memorandum of understanding to provide a decarbonised solution for the cement industry, covering everything from hydrogen production to combustion. This initiative is designed to accelerate the energy transition by enabling the use of hydrogen in process industries without the need to modify existing equipment.

Lhyfe will produce and supply green hydrogen, while Fives will offer optimised and safe solutions for its use in industrial combustion processes, including cement production.

India: Cement volumes in India are projected to rise by 7-8% year-on-year in the 2025 financial year, driven by sustained demand from the infrastructure and housing sectors. This forecast is supported by the government's focus on infrastructure projects, sanction of additional houses and industrial capital expenditure, according to a report by the credit rating agency ICRA.

The Indo-Asian News Service reports that capacity addition in the cement industry is estimated at 63-70Mt between FY25 and FY26, with approximately 33-35Mt expected in FY25 alone. The capacity utilisation is expected to rise to 71% in FY25 from 70% in FY24, backed by higher cement volumes.

Ghana: Minister of Trade and Industry, K Hammond, has presented the Ghana Standards Authority (Pricing of Cement) Regulations 2024 in Parliament. This legislative instrument aims to control cement prices in response to rising costs.

The legislation follows government efforts to persuade manufacturers to reduce prices and address public concerns over escalating costs, according to the Daily Guide Network. Despite opposition from the National Democratic Congress lawmakers and cement producers, the regulation will likely become law after a 21-sitting day period in Parliament. The new law will introduce a price stabilisation fund to ensure consistent cement prices across the country.

Mr Hammond said "For a long time, we haven’t seen cement prices de-escalating. It's always escalating. I think there's something fundamentally wrong with the pricing of cement in the country.”

Global: Titan Group and Sinoma CBMI have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on new business opportunities and technological innovations, focusing on decarbonising and digitising cement manufacturing.

Chair of the Titan Group executive committee, Marcel Cobuz, said "Our partnership with Sinoma will enhance our Green Growth Strategy 2026, benefiting both companies and advancing efficiencies across various fronts. Together, we are transforming the building materials sector towards a net zero future."

The MoU extends the collaboration beyond their initial joint venture on Titan's cement plant in Albania, exploring further advancements in low-carbon fuel and cooler technologies, virtual cement applications, digital logistics and carbon capture solutions.

Switzerland: Holcim will close its historic site in Holderbank, Argovia, relocating approximately 200 employees to its headquarters in Zug from 2026. This move ends Holcim's 114-year presence in its founding location. Holcim will provide financial assistance for relocation or for those whose commute is affected, according to The Geneva Tribune. Prior to the transfer, the Zug headquarters will undergo renovation and expansion, eventually accommodating over 400 staff.

A spokesperson for Holcim said "The merger of the site and offices will not lead to any job cuts. There will be no layoffs."

India: Beumer will establish a production site in Reliance MET City, Jhajjar, with an investment of more than US$24m. The site covers over four hectares and represents a strategic expansion for Beumer's subsidiary, Beumer India. Construction is set to begin in mid 2024 with the plant's inauguration scheduled for September 2025.

UK: The Materials Processing Institute has launched the next phase of the EconoMISER programme with a €5m investment to develop sustainable technologies. The institute aims to advance research in alloy development, furnace modelling and decarbonisation of cement and concrete.

The institute will establish a new cement and concrete research centre and invest in technologies such as predictive artificial intelligence for alloy development. This initiative is part of the UK's effort to decarbonise critical sectors like cement through the EconoMISER programme, supported by UK Research and Innovation.

Pakistan: Domestic cement sales declined by 4.6% to 38.2Mt in FY2024 from 40Mt in FY2023, reflecting a slowdown in construction activities. Despite this, exports were up by 56% to 7.1Mt, contributing to a slight overall rise in cement dispatches of 1.6% to 45.3Mt in 2024, according to Dawn newspaper.

A spokesperson from The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association said “Cement is not a luxury item but a basic necessity. The government must take measures to reduce construction costs to make it affordable for the masses.”