Displaying items by tag: Asia

India: A committee has identified environmental compliance failures at the Adani-owned ACC cement plant in Barmana, Bilaspur district, according to The Indian Express.

The inspection conducted revealed inadequate dust emission controls, missing three-layer tree plantation and deficient truck-tyre washing systems at the plant. Only one kiln was operational at 40% capacity during the visit, as the plant is undergoing maintenance from 3 January to 8 February 2025. Therefore, the committee has requested an additional eight weeks to submit its report, so that it may conduct a more thorough investigation once the plant is operating at full capacity.

The Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board has previously imposed a US$149,000 fine on the plant in April 2022 for air quality breaches and untreated water discharge, with at least seven complaints lodged against the plant by local residents over the last three years.

India: Aditya Birla Group subsidiary UltraTech Cement has entered talks to acquire Heidelberg Materials' 69% stake in HeidelbergCement India, Reuters reports. Executives from Aditya Birla Group have reportedly met with Heidelberg Materials' management to discuss the acquisition. Heidelberg Materials’ stake has been valued at approximately US$391m.

The talks come after the Economic Times reported that Ultratech’s rival Adani Group was in discussions to buy Heidelberg's stake back in October 2024.

India: JK Cement has entered a joint venture with Saifco Cement, through which it will expand its offering in northern India. JK Cement will acquire a 60% stake in Saifco Cement for US$20.1m to expand in Jammu and Kashmir, where Saifco owns limestone reserves of 129Mt across 144 hectares. The acquisition will involve both the companies working together to increase the capacity of cement production by leveraging the expanse of the limestone reserves in the next five years, according to a press release.

JK Cement CEO Madhav Singhania said "Cement demand typically leads economic expansion by a factor of 1.2 in regions with significant infrastructural development opportunities, and Kashmir is undoubtedly one of these regions."

Malaysia: Cahya Mata Cement will build a second line at its Mambong facility in Kuching to increase cement production and support Sarawak's infrastructure development. Construction is expected to take 24 months, with expected completion in March 2027.

The project will add 6000t/day of clinker capacity, raising output to 1.92Mt/yr. This will enable the company to become self-sufficient in its clinker supply and therefore eliminate the need for imports.

The company signed a technical consulting agreement with Sinoma Industry Engineering in November 2023 to design and construct the new production line. It will feature a waste heat recovery system, generating up to 6MW of power, alongside a dust filter designed to cut emissions to half of the current regulatory limit, according to the New Straits Times. The new line will also use locally-sourced alternative raw materials to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

Cahya Mata Cement acting division head Choong Ju Tang said "Once the project is approved and construction is completed, Cahya Mata Cement will be well-positioned to meet the construction industry's demand.”

Pakistan: Cement exports have increased by 23% to US$167m from July to December 2024, compared to US$136m in the same period of 2023, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Export volumes rose by 34% from 3.51Mt to 4.69Mt. In December 2024, exports grew by 45% year-on-year to US$31.9m, up from US$22m in December 2023. The data also showed a 3% month-on-month rise in December 2024 compared to November 2024.

India: UltraTech Cement’s profit after tax for the third quarter of the 2025 financial year declined by 17% year-on-year to US$166m, compared to US$199m in the third quarter of the 2024 financial year. Net sales rose slightly, by 1.4%, to US$1.87bn from US$1.84bn in the previous corresponding period.

The company projected a future growth in volume of 7-8%, due to its focus on infrastructure and housing projects, as well as increased demand. It said that its capacity expansion program remains on track, with 1.8Mt/yr added during the quarter. Including its acquisition of The India Cements, UltraTech’s total cement capacity has reached 171Mt/yr. It expects to reach 200Mt/yr capacity by the end of the 2027 financial year.

India: Shiva Cement, a JSW Cement subsidiary, has signed an agreement with Bhushan Power and Steel (BPSL) for the development of a 1Mt/yr cement grinding unit at BPSL's premises in Sambalpur, Odisha. The agreement formalises the proposed transaction following board and shareholder approvals in 2024, as well as the signing of a memorandum of understanding.

Under the agreement, BPSL will construct, install and operate the grinding unit for Shiva Cement. The total transaction value is capped at US$44m.

China: The Conch Zongyang Line 4 preheater modernisation project, based on KHD technology, has been selected as a pilot project under the Sino-German Energy Efficiency Improvement Demonstration in Key Industries programme. The initiative will be executed by KHD, its parent company AVIC International Beijing, and Conch Group’s research and development department. Results are expected by the end of 2025.

The programme stems from a 2023 agreement between China and Germany on climate change and ‘green’ transition cooperation. The programme was announced in 2024. It evaluated 12 candidate projects before selecting the Conch Zongyang project for its integration of technologies to achieve energy efficiency and a reduction in CO₂.

This project is one of several provided by AVIC to Chinese cement producers using KHD’s pyroprocessing, grinding, alternative fuel and digitalisation solutions.

China: Sinoma International Engineering has appointed Yin Ling as its chief financial officer and as a vice president. She succeeds Wang Yuan in the post. Yuan will continue to work as a vice president for the company.
Ling holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and is trained as an accountant. She has worked for Huazheng Certified Public Accountants, China Fiberglass and as the general manager for the finance department of China National Building Materials.

India: Dalmia Bharat recorded a 2% year-on-year decline in cement sales volumes to 6.7Mt in the third quarter of the 2025 financial year, compared to 6.8Mt in the previous corresponding period. Profit before tax dropped by 77% to US$9.6m, while earnings by interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) dropped by 34.5% to US$5.9m from US$9m in the same period last year.

Managing director and CEO Puneet Dalmia said “After multiple years of high growth, India witnessed a slightly slow start to the year, but the government's continuous focus on investment-led growth underpin my confidence in a rebound of the Indian economy. In this backdrop, I believe cement demand growth will regain momentum. Our capacity expansion plans are on track, as we will reach 49.5Mt/yr by the end of 2025.”

CFO Dharmender Tuteja added “Cement demand growth in the third quarter fell short of our earlier expectations. Our volumes declined by 2% year-on-year while EBITDA fell 34.5% year-on-year to US$5.9m with persistent weakness in cement prices. With demand now gaining traction and prices showing signs of optimism, we are confident about a stronger performance in the upcoming quarters.”