UK: A consortium led by HydraB Group - including Hygen Energy, Ryze Power, HYCAP Group and Wrightbus -has submitted proposals to the UK government for the development of Project HySpeed. The project targets 1GW of green hydrogen production capacity by 2030. The €7.6bn project aims to develop a national network of hydrogen production hubs to fuel energy-intensive industries like steel, glass and cement production,via the gas grid.

Project HySpeed, which is also backed by a large private-sector coalition that includes Centrica (owner of British Gas), JCB, Johnson Matthey, Heidelberg Materials UK, ITM Power and National Gas, aims to cut CO2 emissions from heavy industry by 1Mt/yr.

Earlier in April 2025, the UK government shortlisted 27 electrolytic hydrogen projects to progress to the next stage of the Second Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR2), during which the government expects to support up to 875MW. It previously allocated €2.23bn of funding for 11 large-scale green hydrogen projects under HAR1.

Greece: Titan Group has acquired the Latekat quarry business based in the Thessaly region. Latekat holds reserves of over 100Mt of aggregates. The company said that this latest transaction follows the purchase in 2024 of an aggregates quarry in Attica and the recent finalisation of a long-term commercial agreement in the Southern Peloponnese, securing additionally over 60Mt of reserves. It added that these initiatives are part of its ongoing vertical integration strategy, creating synergies for both its cement and ready-mixed concrete businesses.

Colombia: Jorge Mario Velásquez, the president of Grupo Argos, has revealed the group’s plans for its subsidiary Cementos Argos, following its sale of a 31% stake in US-based Summit Materials in February 2025. Mario Velásquez told the El Colombinao newspaper in an interview that, in the short term, around US$3bn is being invested in fixed-income securities in the US. In the medium term, the company is evaluating investment opportunities in heavy building materials and logistics companies. The latter sector is being considered to maximise the reach of existing production capacity. He added that aggregates in the US are being looked at. However, the company is prepared to consider investing elsewhere.

In March 2025 bondholders and shareholders of Grupo Argos and Grupo Sura agreed to a spin-off agreement to dispose of cross-shareholdings between the conglomerates.

Chile: FLSmidth has inaugurated a new manufacturing plant for mill liners and related products in Casablanca. The Denmark-based company has invested €21m in the 11,250m² unit. It has a capacity of 6500t/yr of coatings. FLSmidth said that LEED-certified mill liner manufacturing facility reduces carbon emissions by up to 56% in the manufacturing process and recycles and reuses all water used during the manufacturing process as well. The site will also create up to 250 new jobs in the Valparaìso region

Mikko Keto, CEO of FLSmidth commented, “Our new Casablanca mill liner manufacturing facility, which joins FLSmidth’s extensive service network in Chile, is much more than manufacturing infrastructure - it is a statement of our commitment to responsible mining, our mill lining portfolio and the communities of South America."

FLSmidth said in early 2024 that it was planning to sell its cement equipment division, FLSmidth Cement. This decision was made so the company could focus on its mining business.

Indonesia: Semen Indonesia has blamed falling sales and earnings in 2024 on a contracting local market and increased competition. The group’s revenue fell by 6% year-on-year to US$420m in 2024 from US$449m in 2023. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) dropped by 30% to US$63.9m from US$90.5m. It noted that, despite this, it managed to maintain a positive profit before tax due to lowered operating and financing costs.

Its sales volumes decreased by 6% to 38.3Mt from 40.6Mt. The group attributed a fall in demand for bagged cement nationally as a contributing factor to lowered local demand. A slowdown in several infrastructure projects, including the Nusantara Capital City, in late 2024 further added to this trend. Export sales also declined.

Algeria: Groupe des Ciments d'Algérie (GICA) has officially recommissioned the 1Mt/yr Timegtane cement plant in Adrar after a period of closure. Sifi Ghrieb, the Minister of Industry, visited the plant to mark the occasion, according to Le Jeune Independent newspaper. The unit partially re-started production in March 2024. A second 1.5Mt/yr production line at the plant is due to be commissioned soon.

The government transferred the ownership of the plant to GICA as part of a reported state drive against corruption. It was originally inaugurated in 2017 as a joint-venture between local company STG Engineering and the China Triumph International Engineering (CTIE). Construction of a second production line at the site was previously reported in 2018.

Myanmar: Five of nine local cement plants were damaged in the earthquake on 28 March 2025. Four plants are in the Mandalay Region, the epicentre of the earthquake, and one is in the Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. Union Minister for Industry Charlie Than held a meeting with the Myanmar Cement Association, stating that the government is recommending hiring foreign consultants and importing equipment.

The government has also reportedly authorised foreign cement imports to meet demand, with shipments arriving via the Kawthoung border and at Shwepyitha Shweme jetty in Yangon. A vessel carrying 2500t of cement arrived on 9 April 2025 and distribution is underway.

Malaysia: Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS) subsidiary Cahya Mata Cement is seeking approval from the Sarawak government to begin construction of a second clinker production line in Mambong. The line was first announced in January 2025. According to Bernama news, the new line will more than double the producer’s clinker capacity to 1.92Mt/yr from 900,000t/yr and is scheduled for completion in March 2027. Once operational, it will enable the group to manufacture up to 2.4Mt/yr of cement.

The project will be developed with China-based Sinoma Industry Engineering under a consulting agreement signed in 2023. The agreement covers the design and subsequent construction of the clinker line, as well as optimisation of the existing production line. The line will include a 6MW waste heat recovery system and a dust filtration system to cut emissions by 50%.

CMS group general counsel Izzam Ibrahim said “We are going through the regulatory approvals, and we are working very closely with the state government to obtain approval to start construction. In fact, we have lined up all the necessary manpower and procurement processes to kickstart the project. Once the project is off the ground, the target for completion will remain on track.”

US: FLSmidth has held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new 11,000m² manufacturing and distribution facility near its main office in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The company is consolidating its US operations following the full separation of its mining and cement businesses. The facility will primarily serve as a distribution warehouse for replacement parts and a production site for pneumatic transfer lines, according to local media.

Head of manufacturing Leyla Mohamed-Folk said “We are bringing our cement products that started in the Lehigh Valley back here.”

Saudi Arabia: Total cement sales in Saudi Arabia dropped by 2% year-on-year to 3.61Mt in March 2025 from 3.70Mt in March 2024, according to data from Yamama Cement. Domestic sales fell by almost 4% to 3.45Mt, while exports rose by 36% to 158,000t from 116,000t. Arabian Cement recorded the highest increase in domestic sales at 26%, followed by Al-Safwa Cement with 22%. Umm Al-Qura Cement posted the steepest drop at 36%, while Tabuk Cement’s fell by 34%. Al-Jouf Cement’s sales remained unchanged at 102,000t.

Three companies exported a total of 158,000 tons of cement in March 2025. Saudi Cement led with 139,000t. Clinker production fell by 6% to 5.1Mt, while clinker inventories grew 5% to 44.3Mt. Saudi Cement also led clinker exports with 153,000t, followed by Northern Region Cement with 58,000t.