UK: The Materials Handling Engineers Association (MHEA) has named John King Chains as the UK’s Supplier of the Year to the materials handling industry.

Managing director David Wadsworth said “It is fantastic to achieve such a prestigious award, and one that confirms that our continual reinvestment into best manufacturing equipment and techniques over the years was the right decision, backed up by our remarkable workforce, who cannot be underestimated." Wadsworth added "We are pleased to also inform our clients that we have further exciting plans in the pipeline, and one we aim to announce to the industry in
early 2023!”

UAE: Asian Paints has partnered with Riddhi Siddhi Crusher & Land Transport and Associated Soap Stone Distributing Company in a 60:40 joint venture for the purpose of white cement and white cement clinker production. The joint venture will invest US$66.5m in the construction of a planned 265,000t/yr integrated cement plant in the Emirate of Fujairah. The project will take until October 2024 to complete. In addition, the new company plans to establish grinding units in India to serve the export market.

Riddhi Siddhi Crusher & Land Transport and Associated Soap Stone Distributing Company operates limestone mines in Fujairah.

Pakistan: Bestway Cement has ignited the 7200t/day kiln at its new Mianwali integrated cement plant in Punjab Province. The plant has 20MW of dedicated solar power capacity and 9MW of waste heat recovery (WHR) power capacity.

Pakistan: Askari Cement has ignited the newly installed 6500t/day kiln at its Nizampur cement plant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The kiln increases the plant's capacity by 73% to 4.85Mt/yr. The project, along with parent company Fauji Cement's construction of a new 2.05Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Dera Ghazi Khan, cost US$339m. Fauji Cement took a US$212m loan to support the works in January 2022. The group expects both projects to raise its capacity by 56% to 10.5Mt/yr and to increase its market share to 13%.

Fauji Cement's upcoming Dera Ghazi Khan cement plant is scheduled for commissioning in mid-late 2024.

Nigeria: The government of Kogi State has filed a lawsuit against Dangote Cement's parent company Dangote Industries. The state government claims no payment was received for Dangote Cement's acquisition of the Obajana cement plant upon its privatisation in 2002, according to the Advocate newspaper. If the legal case is successful it could void the cement producer’s contract with the state government.

The National Security Council ordered the reopening of the Obajana cement plant in the national interest on 14 October 2022, following its closure by order of the Kogi State Assembly.

US: Australia-based James Hardie plans to establish a 92,900m²/yr cement board plant in Crystal City, Missouri. The producer expects the plant to create 240 new jobs.

India: UltraTech Cement's consolidated sales were US$3.51bn during the first half of the 2023 financial year, which began on 1 April 2022, up by 22% from US$2.88bn in the first half of the 2022 financial year. Its net profit was US$283m, down by 22% year-on-year from US$363m. This was due to a 32% cost rise to US$3.13bn from US$2.38bn. Power and fuel contributed 32% of costs at US$1bn, up by 68% from US$598m in the first half of the 2021 financial year.

UltraTech Cement said that it began to see signs of cement demand revival in September 2022, following traditionally subdued second-quarter demand due to seasonal rains.

Spain: Brazil-based Votorantim Cimentos' Córdoba, Niebla and La Araña cement plants in Andalusia are at the centre of a planned Euro1bn decarbonisation project by the company. Votorantim Cimentos will publish details of its plans, which include renewably powered green hydrogen and biofuels production, in early 2023.

Votorantim Cimentos Europe, Asia and Africa CEO Jorge Wagner said "We need agility with the administration, because the investments are stratospheric and long-term. We want to obtain subsidies, taking advantage of European funds." He concluded "We have the opportunity to carry out a very beautiful project in Andalusia and beat the Americans."

Pakistan: Attock Cement recorded standalone sales of US$92.6m in its 2022 financial year, down by 3.6% year-on-year from US$96.1m in its 2021 financial year. The company produced 2.18Mt of clinker, down by 32% from 3.19Mt, corresponding to a capacity utilisation of 76%. The decision to reduce production came about due to high coal costs. Attock Cement sold 1.8Mt of cement, down by 10% from 2.01Mt in the 2021 financial year. The producer's cost of sales rose by 1.1% year-on-year to US$75.9m from US$75.1m. It profit after tax nonetheless grew by 1.2%, to US$5.07m from US$5.01m.

Chair Laith Pharaon said "The 2022 financial year was a challenging year for the company, as export sales remain depressed due to uncompetitive prices demanded by regional markets, which were also facing the uncertainties." He continued "Due to higher input costs owing to the significant increase in energy prices, the gross margin also declined by 4%. However, because of exchange gain on foreign receivables and dividend income received from its Iraq-based 60% subsidiary Saqr Al Keetan, operating margin improved by 3%.

Philippines: The Tariff Commission has reversed a decision recommending that the government implement anti-dumping duties on imports of cement from Vietnam. Việt Nam News has reported that the commission withdrew the recommendation after the Philippine government's Department of Trade and Industry ruled that imports from Vietnam do not have a harmful impact on the domestic cement industry.