Displaying items by tag: GCW727

China: Cement production fell to 148Mt in August 2025, down by 6.2% year-on-year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. From January to August 2025, production reached 1.105Bnt, representing a 5% decrease year-on-year compared to the same period in 2024.

In July 2025, production reached its lowest level since 2009, at 146Mt.  The drop was attributed to the ongoing real estate crisis, weak infrastructure activity and weather disruptions from heatwaves and storms. Producers are shrinking capacity to better align with demand.

India: Birla Corporation plans to raise its cement production capacity from 20Mt/yr to 27.6Mt/yr by 2028 – 2029 by building grinding units and clinker lines, according to The Pioneer newspaper. Chair Harsh Lodha told shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting that the expansion will require a capital expenditure of US$492m.

India: Prism Johnson says that its partner RLJ Cement has completed part of a planned capacity enhancement at the Mirzapur plant in Uttar Pradesh. RLJ Cement has increased its cement production capacity by 0.20Mt/yr to a total of 0.50Mt/yr. Prism Johnson said that the agreement with RLJ is via a non-exclusive supply arrangement, where cement manufactured to Prism Cement’s specifications will be supplied for onward sale.

Following the expansion, Prism Johnson’s outsourced grinding capacity - through supply agreements with multiple units - has increased from 1.17Mt/yr to 1.37Mt/yr. The company said that the Mirzapur plant is now fully operational after the capacity upgrade and forms part of its broader strategy to expand supply tie-ups and scale production to meet rising demand.

South Korea: The Ministry of Environment has announced a pilot project to recycle waste fabric scraps from sewing factories into alternative fuel for the cement industry. The agreement has been signed with: textile companies Pang Rim, Sewang, Sinhan Spinning & Textile; cement companies Ssangyong C&E and Asia Cement; and the Korea Recycling Service Agency (KORA). It expands on an earlier initiative launched in 2024 with four Seoul districts.

Under the project, fabric scraps that were previously incinerated or landfilled will be separated, sorted and processed into intermediate fuel, which cement plants will use in the production process. The Ministry said that KORA will support raw material supply and recycling logistics, while cement firms will adopt the fabric-derived fuel to reduce waste and fossil fuel use.

Kim Go-eung, Director General of the Resources Circulation Bureau, said “The separation, sorting and recycling of waste are essential elements for producing high-quality recycled raw materials. To establish a circular system, we will continue to identify and expand various measures so that the supply of excellent recycled raw materials and the securing of demand sources can be balanced.”

India: Tiruchi Corporation has intensified efforts to manage non-recyclable plastics by diverting them to cement plants for use as alternative fuel. The city generates 400 - 450t/day of waste, of which about 75% is segregated at source. Non-recyclable plastics are collected through door-to-door systems and sent to Dalmia Cements’ and UltraTech Cement’s plants, where they are used as refuse-derived fuel (RDF) in the kilns. Since July 2024, 2384t of plastics have been diverted to cement plants.

An upcoming automated material recovery facility at Ariyamangalam, with a capacity of 250t/day, is expected to further improve segregation, ensuring recyclable, non-recyclable, inert and RDF streams are directed to cement plants for reuse.

Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement narrowed its losses in the first half of 2025 as higher sales volumes and stronger margins offset rising energy costs and inflationary pressures, according to Sharecast. The company reported revenue of US$40.9m for the six months ending 30 June 2025, up by 19% from US$34.4m in 2024, driven by an 18% increase in sales volumes to 850,000t. Net loss fell sharply from US$3.5m to US$0.5m in 2024.

The producer said that production costs remained flat in tenge terms despite higher electricity, diesel and consumable prices. Clinker output rose by 4% in the first six months and remains on track for 8% growth in 2025. The producer has reportedly invested in ecological compliance measures, including new filters, and commissioned a dynamic separator for its third raw mill. It is also exploring ways to boost clinker capacity at its Line 6 and optimise its wider asset base.

Kazakhstan’s cement market grew by 19% in the first half of 2025, supported by favourable weather, economic growth, infrastructure spending, population increases and subsidised mortgage lending. However, Steppe expects growth to slow in the second half of 2025. The company aims to maintain its domestic market share at around 14% for the full year, with total volumes between 1.8Mt and 1.85Mt. Exports fell from 0.45Mt to 0.4Mt in the same period of 2024, while imports increased to 7.7% of the market amid higher supply from Uzbekistan. Steppe Cement reported clinker and cement inventories valued at US$7.3m.

Uzbekistan: Czech Republic-based PSP Engineering will build the Jizzakh cement plant for local company Jizzakh Avantage Plus, with an investment of US$183m, according to Forbes Czech Republic. The turnkey project is scheduled for completion at the start of 2028.

The plant will have a production capacity of 1Mt/yr, covering about 5% of Uzbekistan’s annual cement output once operational. Turkish company SanDeks is participating as a strategic partner, while selected Czech companies will contribute to the supply chain. The project is reportedly financed by an international investment fund. Jaroslav Koutňák, technical director and board member of PSP Engineering, said the Jizzakh Avantage Plus plant represents the company’s largest project in Central Asia and the Middle East.

Pakistan: Lucky Cement commissioned 28.8MW of wind power at its south Karachi plant in the second quarter of the 2025 financial year, bringing its total renewable energy portfolio to 160MW. This includes 74MW of solar and 56MW of waste heat recovery (WHR).

The company said renewable sources now cover more than 55% of its cement operations’ electricity demand, with the remaining 45% supplied by the national grid.

Lucky Cement also reported that cement dispatches rose by 8% year-on-year in the 2025 financial year, driven largely by stronger exports. The company said that it has retained its position as Pakistan’s largest cement exporter, with African markets accounting for the bulk of volumes.

India: Environmental activists and residents of the villages of Ambivli, Atali, and Mohane in Kalyan have raised objections to Ambuja Cement’s proposed 6Mt/yr Ambivli cement grinding unit, citing air pollution and risks to the nearby Kalu and Ulhas rivers, according to local press. A public hearing by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board is scheduled for 16 September 2025.

The US$159m plant will be located on a 26 hectare site, 9.67 hectares of which have been earmarked for green belt development, while 5.49 hectares will be used for installation of the grinding unit, storage facilities and a packing plant.

Opponents argue that the project violates environmental guidelines requiring a minimum 500m buffer from residential areas.Nitin Nikam of Mi Kalyankar said “The project will affect the health of thousands of commuters travelling from Ambivli station. Hundreds of thousands of residents in Ambivli, Atali and Mohane live just 150–200m away and will be exposed to air pollution from the plant.”

Stalin D, director of Vanashakti, said “The proposed unit will add to the pollution levels of the Ulhas River. As cases related to the river’s pollution are pending at the Supreme Court, the government should not encourage any project that risks worsening the situation.”

Nikam also called for the hearing to be postponed by one month, noting that the notice does not specify the exact venue where the hearing is due to be held.

Ghana: The Chamber of Cement Manufacturers (COCMAG) has raised concerns about a surge of imported bagged cement, mainly from Togo, according to local press.

In a statement to the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, COCMAG CEO George Dawson-Ahmoah said that foreign cement brands, particularly from Togo, are increasingly ‘flooding’ the Ghanaian market without undergoing mandatory product certification by the Ghana Standards Authority. He said that this raises safety concerns for buildings and infrastructure.

Beyond safety, Dawson-Ahmoah said that the influx is distorting market dynamics. “Our local manufacturers have made substantial investments to expand production capacity, create jobs, and contribute meaningfully to Ghana's economic development. As such, the influx of imported cement without any value addition to the local economy risks eroding these gains, weakening investor confidence and destabilising the entire industry.