Canada: WorkSafeBC (WSBC) has fined Lafarge Canada’s Richmond cement plant in British Colombia more than US$488,000 following the death of a worker at the site on 19 November 2020. The work safety body found that a large fan at the site had failed, causing debris to strike the employee who sustained fatal injuries.

During the investigation, WSBC found the fan's impeller had been repaired and refurbished around five months before the accident, but that “The firm failed to ensure the installation, inspection, testing, and repair of its equipment was done as specified by the manufacturer or a professional engineer.”
It added that Lafarge Canada, part of Holcim, had also failed to make sure that a qualified person had checked that the equipment was safe before operation resumed. Richmond Royal Canadian Mounted Police worked with WorkSafeBC on the investigation but determined that there had been no criminality involved.

Guatemala: Ultracem Guatemala has launched a new 45.2 grade of bagged cement, which it says is the strongest structural cement on the national market. It is designed for projects that demand maximum performance, safety, and technical support. The new product meets the highest international standards, including ASTM and COGUANOR 41095, and is the result of a strategic investment in technology and local development. The launch of the new product coincides with the first anniversary of the company’s production plant in Guatemala, which was inaugurated in 2024.

Slovakia: Cementáre Cemmac has installed a US$4m solar power plant at its Horné Srnie plant in the Treniansky district of the country. The plant will produce over 4600MWh of electricity per year, to be consumed directly by the plant. This will reduce CO2 emissions by 4500t/yr. The facility has a 15-year technology guarantee and will operate until at least 2050.

Azerbaijan: The total value of the materials production by Azerbaijan’s construction materials sector was US$460.5m in January-July 2025, according to the State Statistical Committee. This represents a 5.8% decline compared to the same period of 2024. Cement production fell by 3.2% year-on-year over the same timeframe.

Pakistan: The Punjab government has approved the construction of a new Gharibwal Cement plant in Chakwal. The Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman described the approval of a new cement plant in Chakwal as a milestone for industrial growth that would support the construction sector and stabilise the local economy.

India: The groundbreaking of UltraTech Cement’s US$42.2m expansion project at its Cuttack plant took place on 15 September 2025 at the project site in Khamar Nuagaon and Kolathpangi village, Athagarh tehsil. The expansion will double the unit’s capacity from 3Mt/yr to 6Mt/yr. Ardhendu Mohapatra, head of Aditya Birla group in Odisha, and Abhinash Rath, plant head of Ultratech Cement Cuttack, were present at the event.

Pakistan: Cement exports almost doubled in the first two months of the 2026 financial year compared with the same period in the 2025 financial year, according to provisional trade data from the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).

Exports of cement were valued at US$73m in July - August 2025, up by 98% year-on-year from US$37m in July - August 2024. In August 2025 alone, cement exports reached US$38m, compared with US$22m in 2024, reflecting an increase of about 70% year-on-year.

Peru: National cement dispatches reached 1.15Mt in August 2025, up by 4.4% year-on-year, according to the Asociación de Productores de Cemento (ASOCEM). On a 12-month rolling basis, dispatches grew by 3% year-on-year. Cement production stood at 1.04Mt, a 2% increase compared to August 2024 and 1% higher over the 12-month cumulative period. In contrast, clinker production dropped to 630,000t, down by 20% year-on-year and 12% lower on a 12-month basis.

Cement exports fell by 6% to 10,962t compared to August 2024, though they rose 10% over the 12 months. Clinker exports reached 72,006t, down by 3% and 11% lower across the 12-month cumulative period. Imports of cement saw a significant 565% increase to 10,763t, up by 109% over the 12-month period. Clinker imports stood at 35,396t, falling by 56% from August 2024 but still 43% higher in the 12-month comparison.

India: The Meghalaya government has confirmed that it has no plans to revive the defunct state-owned Mawmluh Cherra Cements (MCCL) plant and is instead exploring options to transform the site into a tourist attraction. Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar told the Assembly that after years of failed attempts, the state had concluded that MCCL’s revival was no longer feasible. MCCL, originally established as Assam Cement in the 1950s, ceased production in 2020 after mounting losses left it unable to compete with private manufacturers, according to local press. A final attempt in 2022 to secure a joint venture partner also collapsed after three interested firms either withdrew, were disqualified, or declined to proceed. The government has since rolled out a US$11m compensation plan for employees, contractors, suppliers and former workers. The third and final US$3m tranche is reportedly due by 2026 - 2027.

The government is focusing on repurposing the site with revival plans now ruled out. The Sohra area, already a popular tourist destination, is being considered for new projects. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma previously confirmed that he had been in talks with the Hima of Sohra, a local community group, in August 2023 and that it had ‘expressed enthusiasm’ about working with the government to develop tourism opportunities that would benefit the local economy.

Carmeuse announced this week that it has acquired a controlling stake in Chile-based Cbb. It said that the transaction strengthened its presence in South America, building on its existing operations in Colombia and Brazil. The move marks a diversification for the Belgium-based lime company. Cbb, formerly Cementos Bío Bío, is a vertically integrated heavy building materials producer with cement and concrete plants, in addition to limestone mines and plants.

The transaction sees Carmeuse take over a 97% share of Cbb for around US$490m. The deal was made public in early August 2025. A public tender offer, as part of the acquisition process, then completed on 11 September 2025. The settlement date, when the share ownership changes and the payment is made, will take place on 23 September 2025. The takeover was able to proceed once the main family-based shareholders of Cbb, who owned around 65%, agreed to the deal. Peru-based cement company Yura, which owned around another 20%, also consented. It sold its share for around US$100m.

The takeover of Cbb has been a while in the making and has involved different parties. It first became apparent to the public in late 2024 that Peru-based Grupo Gloria, the owner of Yura, had launched a bid to buy an additional 20% share. The board of Cbb rejected the offer, which appraised the full company at just under US$400m, as undervalued. Around the same time, Cbb revealed that US-based Mississippi Lime Company (MLC) had made its own takeover bid in May 2024 for around US$500m. However, MLC then withdrew its offer. Both Yura and MLC reportedly made their approaches in conjunction with some of the local family-based major shareholders. Also, note the interest by another lime company in Cbb.

Jump forward nine months and the deal appears done. Yet, as mentioned above, Carmeuse is buying more than just a lime producer. Cbb operates three integrated cement plants and one grinding plant in Chile. It also runs a grinding plant at Matarani, in the south of Peru. Global Cement Directory data suggests that the plants in Chile have a cement production capacity of over 3Mt/yr. This places the clinker capacity cost at around US$160/t. However, the capacity utilisation rate is likely to be low at present given that the company reported cement despatches of 1.2Mt in 2024. In addition, Cbb runs 27 ready-mixed concrete plants, two lime plants and three limestone mines in Chile. In Argentina it operates a lime plant and a lime mine. The company reported lime despatches of 0.83Mt in 2024.

Cbb recorded sales revenue of US$204m for cement and US$174m for lime. Pertinently, it noted a profit of US$2.26m for the cement division but one of US$35m for the lime one. Although, to be fair, sales revenue and profit grew year-on-year for both divisions. For the cement sector, the company said that the industry had experienced one of the “most severe crises in 2024 in the last 30 years.” It reported a decline in new construction projects due to rising material costs, higher credit requirements, low business confidence and a poor general economy. Ratings agency Humphreys noted, in a report on the cement sector in Chile in December 2024, that Cbb had improved its earnings margin in recent years due to the performance of its lime division.

Carmeuse’s acquisition of Cbb is a major change for the cement sector in Chile following declining cement despatches since 2021. From here one question is whether Carmeuse wants to run a cement and concrete business in Chile. The current state of the cement market in Chile, Carmeuse’s expertise in lime and the profitability of Cbb’s lime division, are three reasons why it might decide to divest this part of the business at a later date. On the other hand, Carmeuse’s expertise running rotary lime kilns could certainly feed into a new cement division if it chose to. MLC’s earlier interest in Cbb and a lack of many other cement companies being linked to the divestment also suggest that the focus has firmly been on the lime side of Cbb’s business. The one cement company that was interested, Yura, has links to lime too. Sister company Cal & Cemento Sur runs a lime plant in Puno Region in Peru, with US$100m plans for a new lime plant in Lima also in the works. The future of the cement division of Cbb is likely to be watched closely.

The FICEM Technical Congress 2025 has been taking place this week in Lima, Peru