China: Fitch Ratings expects West China Cement to record a first-half sales decline of 10% in 2022, due to ‘sluggish’ residential construction, on-going Covid-19 restrictions and high coal costs due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The rating agency predicted a ‘mid-single digit’ full-year sales decline in 2022, with a gross profit margin for the group of 28%, compared to 30% in 2021. This probability results from higher costs arising from overseas investments during the year.

Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement has received notification from Consilium Investment Management that funds under its management have ‘collectively ceased as a significant shareholder’ in the producer.

Consilium Investment Management previously represented a 5% stake in Steppe Cement’s shareholding.

Switzerland: Indonesian citizens of Pulau Pari have launched a legal case against Holcim in Switzerland for its contribution to climate change. Holcim operated in Indonesia from 1971 through its subsidiary Holcim Indonesia, which Semen Indonesia acquired from the group in 2019. Pulau Pari faces increased climate change-induced flooding, including two floods in 2020. Four residents have launched the present case against Holcim for damages, funding for flood defences and positive measures towards further group CO₂ emissions reduction. Indonesia-based environmental organisation Walhi, Swiss Church Aid (HEKS) and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) are supporting the case.

Trinidad & Tobago: Workers at Trinidad Cement’s Claxton Bay cement plant have launched a protest at the plant against an alleged breach of employment contracts. Troubled Company Reporter Latin America News has reported that Trinidad Cement has allegedly underpaid employees for more than seven years, with no cost of living allowance or gain share payments, and resulting pension miscalculations, according to a union representing the workers.

South Korea: SK Group subsidiary SK Ecoplant has partnered with CMD Group to launch pilot production of building materials made using up to 60% recycled bottom ash from waste incinerators. The partners say that an exothermic reaction in the presence of non-sintered inorganic binders and expansion-reducing reactants increases the compressive strength of the end product to match that of concrete containing ordinary Portland cement (OPC).

AJU News has reported that South Korean waste incinerators produced 2.16Mt of bottom ash from 9.12Mt of waste in 2020.

Vietnam: High costs have resulted in the cancellation of four planned new integrated cement lines by a local cement producer. Viet Nam News has reported that the producer in question presently faces costs of US$59.9 - 64.1/t cement, with a net loss of US$8.55 - 10.30/t. Coal prices are US$237/t, more than triple those at the start of 2022 of US$85.5/t. Gypsum and diesel prices rose by 50% over the first half of 2022. The producer reportedly attributed the coal price rise to the effects of the Covid-19 conflict and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement's first-half sales were US$41.4m in 2022, up by 18% year-on-year from first-half 2021 levels. Sales volumes were 837,000t, down by 0.4% year-on-year from 841,000t.

US: Silicate-based supplementary cementitious material (SCM) developer Terra CO₂ raised US$46m in its first funding round, it announced on 12 July 2022. Fast Company News has reported that climate innovation venture capital company Breakthrough Energy Ventures led the round.

Terra CO₂'s SCM consists of silicate-containing igneous rocks and sediments, which are ground and heated to form glass spheres. The company says that these behave in a similar way to natural pozzolan and fly ash. Terra CO₂ says that its product offers a 70% CO₂ emissions reduction compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC).

Sri Lanka: Insee Cement's Ruhunu cement plant in Galle has begun producing Portland composite cement (PCC) using slag and fly ash. Insee Cement first produced PPC at its Puttalam cement plant.

Insee Cement's head of products and solutions Moussa Baalbaki said "Insee Cement introduced PCC for the first time to the local market in 2021 as part of a two-pronged approach: to create value for our customers by augmenting the sustainability performance in their constructions, and also to steer Sri Lanka's construction industry towards ambitious, globally benchmarked sustainable goals." Baalbaki continued "We are truly encouraged by the growing demand across the local market for PCC, and trust our production expansion to Galle is testimony to our commitment towards sustainable production practices."

Pakistan: Cherat Cement and Lucky Cement are among three companies to have imported 10,000t of coal from Afghanistan in the two-month period up to 11 July 2022. Asian News International has reported the other company was Fauji Fertilizer Power Station.

The local coal price in Afghanistan was US$188/t on 11 July 2022.