Displaying items by tag: GCW707

Fiji: The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) has assured the public that there should be no shortage of cement despite the temporary suspension of operations at Pacific Cement. CEO Senikavika Jiuta said FCCC is working closely with suppliers and monitoring the supply chain to prevent unfair practices.

Pacific Cement suspended operations on 21 March 2025 after its mill sustained mechanical damage. Repairs are underway and expected to finish by 27 May 2025. FCCC engaged with both Pacific Cement and Tengy Cement to conduct a market study, concluding that Tengy Cement’s increased production at its Suva and Lautoka plants will meet demand until Pacific Cement resumes full operations.

Mexico: Cemex reported a ‘record’ net income of US$734m in the first quarter of 2025. Net sales stood at US$3.65bn, down from US$3.94bn year-on-year, driven by higher consolidated prices partially offsetting lower volumes in Mexico. Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) reached US$601m, compared to US$731m in the previous quarter.

In Mexico, sales reached US$981m, a 25% year-on-year decrease from US$1.31bn in the previous corresponding period. The US also recorded a slight decline in sales from US$1.2bn to US$1.19bn in the first quarter of 2025. The Europe, Middle East and Africa region recorded a 2% increase in sales from US$1.07bn to US$1.04bn, and the South, Central America and the Caribbean region recorded sales of US$314m, a 2% increase from US$206m in the first quarter of 2024.

Under new CEO Jaime Muguiro, Cemex plans to use its ‘Project Cutting Edge’ initiative to achieve yearly EBITDA savings of at least US$150m in 2025 and savings of US$350m by 2027.

Switzerland: Holcim reported stable net sales of €5.89bn in the first quarter of 2025, down by 0.8% year-on-year from €5.93bn. North America recorded a good start to the year despite unfavourable weather conditions, while Latin America delivered further profitable growth, driven by an 8% rise in local currency. Europe continued strong recurring EBIT growth and margin expansion, and Asia, Middle East and Africa recorded double-digit recurring EBIT growth, led by North Africa. Holcim expects the good momentum to continue with strong demand in North Africa, a positive outlook in Australia and price recovery in China.

Net sales of its low-carbon ECOPlanet cement represented 29% of cement sales, up from 26% year-on-year. Holcim said it is “well-positioned to navigate the current economic uncertainty” and confirmed its 2025 guidance of mid-single digit net sales growth in local currency.

Cambodia: The Cambodian government has approved the construction of a new cement plant on a 99-hectare site inside Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, awarded in January 2025 to KP Cement. This decision comes despite a 2023 moratorium on new mining licences in Prey Lang to protect the forest and local ecosystem. Local newspaper Mongabay previously conducted an investigation into KP Cement, allegedly uncovering rampant deforestation at the company’s mine where limestone and marble are being excavated. It reports that documents published in the March 2025 edition of Cambodia’s Royal Gazette, which lists new laws and government announcements, show that a 50-year lease on a 99-hectare plot of land inside Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary was awarded to KP Cement on 13 January 2025.

The plant will source limestone from a nearby mine less than 1km away. Coal for the operation will be imported via Sihanoukville port and transported over 440km to the site. Local communities have expressed alarm over environmental degradation, health risks from limestone dust and being excluded from decision-making.

Oman: Raysut Cement is reactivating a partnership with China's Sinoma Overseas Development to launch Oman's first waste heat recovery (WHR) power plant at its Salalah site, according to the Oman Daily Observer. The groundwork for the 9MW facility was originally laid in 2018. Once operational, the facility is expected to reduce the plant’s reliance on national grid power by up to 30% and reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 50,000t/yr. Engineering design and site preparations are expected to be revisited before the end of 2025.

China: The China Building Materials Federation, Conch Group and Huawei have partnered to showcase their AI model for the cement industry. Conch Group and Huawei began constructing the model in April 2024 with federation support. Since then, they have identified over 200 AI application scenarios across 15 categories spanning the entire production process, from mining to shipment. The model can reportedly predict the strength of clinker with an 85% accuracy rate and can allow for a reduction in coal consumption.

Iraq: Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has launched six industrial projects worth US$1.17bn in Muthanna province, including five cement plants. According to Iraqi News, Al-Sudani initiated commercial operations at the 6000t/day Najmat Al-Samawa Cement Plant 2, and launched construction of the Al-Arabi, Khairat Al-Muthanna and Al-Ittihad plants, each with a capacity of 6000t/day. The 6600t/day Al-Samawa cement plant has also commenced construction.

Al-Sudani said that the main objective of the current projects is to ‘secure the needs of the local market’ and stop imports. The government is reportedly constructing residential complexes in Baghdad and other provinces, where there are more than a million housing units. 200,000 housing units are also being built in seven large residential communities.

Global: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has launched the Low Carbon Ratings (LCR) system for cement and concrete, a new global rating based on products' carbon footprints. The system uses a clear AA to G scale to help customers prioritise sustainability in material selection across construction sectors worldwide.

The GCCA says that the LCR system is designed to be easily recognisable, with a simple visual graphic that indicates a product’s rating and provides consistency and comparability to other products. Countries will be able to adapt the system according to local standards.

Belarus: Belarusian Cement enterprises produced 5.34Mt of cement in 2024, up by 7% year-on-year, with shipments rising by 10% and total sales to domestic and foreign markets by 6.5%.

The holding company’s three plants, OJSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy, Belarusian Cement Plant and OJSC Krichevcementnoshifer, accounted for 86.5% of domestic cement sales in the first quarter of 2025. The group also exports to Russia, supplying up to 10% of demand in the Central and Northwestern Federal Districts. It plans to increase market share further by modernising its production lines.

Nepal: Udayapur Cement Industry resumed operations on 24 April 2025, despite ongoing legal disputes and internal administrative obstructions, according to acting general manager Mahesh Sah. The plant ceased all activities in late November 2024. It began kiln firing at 10:40am local time and expected clinker production to begin after eight hours of machine operation.

The plant aims to produce approximately 400t/day of clinker. Coal and dinepalesel stocks are expected to last 12 days. Sah noted that coordination has been made with the Nepal Electricity Authority, which has assured uninterrupted power supply despite outstanding dues. Udayapur Cement, a fully state-owned enterprise, has a daily production capacity of 800t/day.