Pakistan: Fauji Cement Company Limited (FCCL) reports that it has become the country's third-largest cement producer by capacity, after expanding its annual production from 3.6Mt/yr to 10.6Mt/yr. The company achieved this through strategic mergers and capacity increases at its Nizampur and DG Khan plants, enhancing its industry presence and pushing into the southern market.

JS Global reports that FCCL's growth strategy includes a strong focus on cost optimisation. Operational efficiency has improved with a shift to more economical fuel sources, such as local and Afghan coal, and increased reliance on self-generated power, now at 60%. The addition of an 11MW solar plant in Nizampur and waste heat recovery plants has boosted FCCL's green energy capacity to 40MW, substantially lowering costs.

This strategy is expected to strengthen financial health in future quarters. Financial results for the second quarter of the 2024 financial year show profits of US$9.7m.

Russia: Mikhail Polyanichko, the finance director of Cemros, has warned that growing gas prices, logistic costs and the interest rate set by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation will “significantly” increase input costs for cement producers in 2024. Tariffs on gas and railway transport both rose by around 10% in December 2023, with a further gas rate rise scheduled for July 2024. Polyanichko noted that the price of gas is particularly sensitive for cement plants given that it represents, on average, about 30% of the energy mix. He described the impending situation as a “stress scenario” and forecast that investment projects were likely to be reduced.

India: Sanghi Industries has appointed Sukuru Ramarao as its chief executive officer (CEO). He succeeds Ravi Sanghi, who was the chair and managing director, following the acquisition of a majority stake in the company by Adani Group subsidiary Ambuja Cements. Sanjay Kumar Khajanchi has been appointed as the chief financial officer, Manish Mistry as company secretary and Ajay Kapur as chair of the company’s board of directors.

Sukuru Ramarao holds over 35 years of professional experience in the building materials sector. He started working for Ambuja Cements in the late 1990s, eventually becoming the company’s chief manufacturing officer in the 2021. He then became the CEO of Adani Group’s cement business in 2023. He holds an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.

Sanjay Kumar Khajanchi has worked for Ambuja Cements for over 20 years, reaching the position of Head - Finance & Controlling in 2021. He holds a bachelors degree in commerce from St Xavier's College in Kolkata, qualifications from the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, as well as various professional financial accreditations.

Manish Mistry has worked with a wide variety of companies for over 15 years including Bell Ceramics, Alembic Group, Cadila Group and GACL before joining Adani Group in 2022. He is a member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and holds a degree in commerce and law from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Vadodara, Gujarat.

Ajay Kapur has been the CEO of Adani Group’s cement business since mid-2022. He has worked for over 25 years in the cement sector, originally starting at Ambuja Cements in 1993. He subsequently became the company’s managing director and CEO from 2014 to 2019. He then was the head of the aluminium and power division at Vedanta Group. Kapur holds an undergraduate degree in economics from St Xavier's College, a master of business administration (MBA) degree from the K J Somaiya Institute of Management and has completed the Advanced Management Programme at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

India: Adani Group has committed to investing US$100bn in the decade to the end of 2033 towards transitioning its operations to net zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. The scope of investments will include the group’s cement business in addition to logistics and power generation. The group has also set a target for five of its subsidiaries, including ACC and Ambuja Cements, to become net zero by 2050 or earlier. Adani Enterprises currently plans to build a 10GW/yr-capacity solar panel plant, a 10GW/yr-capacity wind turbine plant and a 5GW/yr-capacity hydrogen electrolysers plant.

Adani Group said "The roadmap to the net zero transition will require green hydrogen solutions in its last mile. To make green hydrogen adoption feasible, Adani's track record in large-scale renewables and fully integrated manufacturing with end-to-end engineering, procurement and construction capability — all in one single location — uniquely positions it to secure lower costs."

UK: Holcim subsidiary Aggregate Industries has commenced its construction of a cement blending plant and import hub on the River Thames at the Port of Tilbury in Essex. The facility also includes units for the production of reduced-CO₂ cement components, including ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and construction demolition waste (CDW)-based materials. The Tilbury site has five loading heads and will help Aggregate Industries to maintain its continuous supply of conventional, reduced-CO₂ and circular cementitious materials to London and South East England.

Chief executive officer Dragan Maksimovic said “This important investment will further strengthen our position in the market, allowing us to drive our sustainability ambitions and lead the way in low carbon and circular building materials. The London and South East construction market has major regional projects on the horizon, and we are primed and ready to meet the region’s rising demand for sustainable solutions.”

Steve Curley, managing director cement, added “Our ECOPlanet range of green cement was recently added to our green offering. By investing in this impressive facility within the Port of Tilbury, we will truly boost our sustainable offering and be more agile and efficient in the way we manufacture, transport and supply our products across this region.”

India: JK Lakshmi Cement has obtained environmental clearance to mine up to 2.5Mt/yr of limestone from it Kachchh mine in Gujarat. The producer says that it plans to invest US$24m in expanding its operations at the site.

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos’ board of directors has approved the issuance of US$180m-worth of non-convertible debentures. The producer says that it will use funds raised thereby as collateral for a financial securitisation operation of real estate receivables.

Nepal: Cement and clinker exports to India totalled 1.04Mt throughout the 2023 financial year, which ended on 15 July 2023. The República newspaper has reported that three separate cement companies exported their products during the year. Palpa Cement Industry began exports in July 2022, followed by Arghakhachi Cement in October 2022 and Balaji Cement in June 2023.

Total Nepalese export volumes to India were 607,000t of cement, worth US$2.74m, and 397,000t of clinker, worth US$3.21m.

Ghana: The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) have arrested managers of Wan Heng Ghana. The Business and Financial Times newspaper has reported that the cement producer is suspected of neglecting to pay US$43.1m in tax. An investigation showed that the company received sufficient imported clinker to produce US$120m-worth of cement between 2018 and 2021, yet declared only US$19.6m-worth of sales. Management then reportedly refused to cooperate with further investigations, leading to the arrests. Wan Heng Ghana produces Sol brand cement.

The Chamber of Cement Manufacturers Ghana (COCMAG) affirmed its commitment to ensuring fair competition and ethical practices within the cement industry. It represents cement producers in the country, including Wan Heng Ghana.

Mongolia: L Naranbaatar, the head of Khutul Cement and Lime, has responded to a strike at the company by outlining changes made since it was nationalised in 2022. Workers are protesting with demands to add wage incentives and to appoint managers from within the company, according to the UB Post newspaper. They have also alleged that the company is spending its budget illegally.

During a press conference Naranbaatar explained that the company produced 403,000t of cement in 2022, an increase from 2021. It reported a profit of US$3.3m in 2022, the first time it had made a profit in the last decade. However, the producer’s wage bill nearly doubled to just below US$6m in 2022. The company also spent US$2.25m on upgrades to the plant in 2022, the first such investment made in five years, compared to US$171,000 spent on maintenance in 2021.

Former economist L Naranbaatar was appointed as the head of Khutul Cement and Lime in March 2022. The company was transferred to the Development Bank of Mongolia when the heir of the previous owners refused to accept the inheritance.