India: Adani Group will invest US$3bn in Kerala over the next five years. The group will reportedly develop a logistics and e-commerce hub in Kochi and expand its cement capacity in the city.

The producer has already invested US$577m in developing the Vizhinjam port, and according to Adani Ports managing director Karan Adani, the company is investing an additional US$2.3bn.

Brazil: The Administrative Council for Economic Defence (CADE) has convicted two individuals for operating a cartel in the Brazilian cement sector and ordered them to pay fines of US$1.75m.

The investigation began in 2016, stemming from a wider probe into a Brazilian cement sector cartel. The individuals exchanged emails and attended meetings to allocate market share and manipulate public procurement prices to restrict competition and entry of new competitors in the market.

Kyrgyzstan: Cement production rose by 20% year-on-year to 118,000t in January 2025, according to the National Statistical Committee.

The country's cement production increased by 4% year-on-year to 3.1Mt in 2024. Cement imports rose by 120% to 0.5Mt.

Denmark: FLSmidth's cement revenues fell by 26% year-on-year to US$616m in 2024.
Cement gross profit fell by 3% to US$204m. The producer attributed the decline to divestments and withdrawal from project-orientated business.

Group revenues, including both the Mining and Cement businesses, fell by 16% year-on-year to US$2.8bn. Group gross profit rose by 8% year-on-year to US$905m.

The company said that it expects the short-term outlook for the cement industry to remain impacted by ‘macroeconomic uncertainty’.

Brazil: Buzzi subsidiary Cimento Nacional has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement with renewable energy provider Casa dos Ventos for 65MW/yr of wind power from the 756MW Serra do Tigre and 360MW Babilonia Sul wind farms. The agreement will supply 100% of the producer's electricity requirements in its Brazilian facilities.

The Serra do Tigre wind farm is currently under construction in Rio Grande do Norte, but the Babilonia Sul wind farm is operational in Bahia.

US: Terra CO₂ has raised US$82m in Series B funding from investors including Eagle Materials, GenZero and Just Climate. The company will build its first commercial facility in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, in partnership with Asher Materials.

With the help of Eagle Materials, the company will establish multiple 240,000t/yr plants across North America. The US Department of Energy has also awarded Terra CO₂ with a grant of US$52.6m for a second commercial facility. The producer has begun concrete trials of its Opus Zero cement-free product, designed to completely replace ordinary Portland cement in concrete. It will complete a second funding round in the first quarter of 2025.

“This strategic funding from the world’s leading climate funds and industry partners validates our approach to practical cement decarbonisation at commercial scale,” said Bill Yearsley, CEO of Terra. “As we break ground on our first full-scale plant in Texas, their support enables us to accelerate deployment across North America and establish an early footprint in Europe.”

Taiwan: The Ministry of Finance has issued preliminary findings in its anti-dumping investigation into Vietnamese cement and clinker, confirming that Vietnamese firms engaged in dumping. Six out of 21 investigated producers had dumping margins of 16 - 20%, while others faced a margin as high as 24%. Long Son Cement recorded the lowest margin at below 17%, the only producer below the level initially alleged by the Taiwan Cement Manufacturers Association.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs has not imposed provisional duties due to lack of evidence of ongoing damage to domestic producers. The investigation began in August 2024 and will now continue its final phase.

Morocco: Cement sales rose by 14% month-on-month to 1.28Mt in January 2025, according to the Ministry of National Land Planning, Urbanism, Housing, and City Policy. The ministry said in its monthly report that sales directed to distribution reached 707,000t.

France: Vicat recorded consolidated sales of €3.9bn, a year-on-year decrease of 1%, in 2024. It cited negative exchange rates, including for the Turkish Lira and Egyptian Pound. €1.16bn in sales came from its operations in France and €1bn from its US operations. It also reported earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of €783m, up by 6% year-on-year. Its Cement business underwent a 3% decline in volumes during the year, driven by declines in France and India. Demand in France reportedly reached a 25-year low. The company noted an increase in the use of alternative fuels to 36% and has set itself the target of lowering its direct specific emissions to 497kg of CO₂ per tonne of cement equivalent and to 430kg CO₂ per tonne of cement equivalent in Europe by 2030. At the end of 2024, these figures stood at 576kg and 497kg respectively.

At the end of 2024, the Group's financial structure remains ‘solid,’ with net debt down by €185m over 2024. In 2025, it will aim for an increase in sales on a like-for-like basis and ‘low single-digit’ EBITDA growth.

Guy Sidos, chair and CEO of Vicat, said "In a deteriorated environment in Europe, the group has delivered historic results. We have witnessed strong growth in the US and progress in the Mediterranean region. I am confident that 2025 will be another successful year for Vicat, thanks to continued momentum in the US, stabilisation in Europe and the first contribution from our investment in Senegal.”

Türkiye: Titan Cement has agreed to sell its 75% stake in Adocim Cimento Beton to Mugla Cimento (50%) and Yurt Cimento (25%) for US$87.5m. The assets include a cement plant, terminal and related infrastructure in eastern Türkiye.

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approval. Titan Cement will retain its grinding and supplementary cementitious materials assets in other parts of the country.