Tanzania: Dangote Cement plans to start using natural gas at its Mtwara plant by the end of May 2018. The decision follows the completion of a new gas pipeline near the plant, according to the Citizen newspaper. The plant has been using temporary diesel generators. A source quoted by the newspaper said that the unit has been using 6Ml/month of diesel at a cost of about US$4.4m. In late 2016 Dangote Cement made a deal with the government to supply natural gas to its cement plant at Mtwara following a temporary shutdown at the site.

Uganda: Hima Cement’s new US$40m grinding plant at Nyakesi in Tororo District is expected to start production in early May 2018. Originally the 0.8Mt/yr plant was scheduled to open in June 2018, according to the East African Business Week newspaper. Opening early is dependent on the subsidiary of LafargeHolcim receiving a government mining licence.

Nigeria: The Methodist Church of Nigeria has called on the local government to support the reopening of the Nkalagu Cement plant. The Diocese of Onitsha wants the unit restored so it can create local jobs, according to the Vanguard newspaper. The plant was the first in Nigeria when it opened in 1954. It later closed in 2003 after it was privatised. The Ebonyi state government signed a memorandum of understanding with Ibeto Group in 2016 to revive the plant.

Tunisia: Production remains suspended at Carthage Cement due to a dispute between the NLSupervision and the staff. The management of NLSupervision, a subsidiary of Denmark’s FLSmidth that holds a contact to operate the plant, and union representatives have met several times to try and resolve the matter, according to the Tunis Afrique Presse. On 4 April 2018 NLSupervision shut down the plant for 60 days.

Lebanon: Residents in Koura district has demanded that nearby cement plants be closed and cement exports banned due to health fears. George Costantine al-Itani, the environmental committee coordinator for Kfar Hazir issues a list of demands, according to the Daily Star newspaper. The group wants local cement plants in the area to move out of residential areas, close down unauthorised quarries and replace petcoke usage with natural gas. In the longer term the group wants the government to plant trees on cement company land and decrease the cost of local cement. Local company Cimenterie Nationale and Switzerland’s LafargeHolcim operate cement plants in the region.

France: Sonia Artinian, Lafarge’s human resources director from 2013 to 2015, has been charged ‘endangering the lives of others’ during operations in Syria. However, she avoided being charged for financing a terrorist organisation instead being granted ‘assisted witness’ status, according to the Agence France Presse. LafargeHolcim is being investigated in France over claims that Lafarge Syria had paid extremist groups to keep its Jalabiya cement plant operational after the outbreak of war in Syria. Six former Lafarge executives have been charged so far with financing a terrorist organisation.

Russia: Local residents have protested against a cement plant being built at Zueovo near Novgorod. Over 800 residents demonstrated against the project and sent a letter to the regional governor, according to the Kolmovo newspaper. The protestors object to potential health concerns related to the plant such as poor air quality due to dust emissions.

India: The Binani Operational Creditors Forum (BOCF) is seeking a forensic audit of the insolvency resolution process of Binani Cement due to an alleged lack of transparency. The forum has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, according to the Press Trust of India. Binani Cement owes about US$1.07bn to its creditors.

The Supreme Court previously blocked an out-of-court offer by UltraTech Cement for Binani Cement. A consortium led by Dalmia Bharat won an auction for Binani Cement with a bid of US$974m in early March 2018. However, UltraTech Cement then made a direct bid to Binani Cement a few weeks later. According to the BOCF, the operational creditors are expected to only receive US$23.2m from a total exposure of US$107m if the bid from Dalmia Bharat is allowed to complete.

India: The Supreme Court has blocked an out-of-court offer by UltraTech Cement for Binani Cement. Banks had offered conditional support to UltraTech’s bid, seeking indemnity from Binani Industries, the owner of Binani Cement, against any potential legal action, according to the Economic Times newspaper. A consortium led by Dalmia Bharat won an auction for Binani Cement with a bid of US$974m in early March 2018. However, UltraTech Cement then made a direct bid to Binani Cement a few weeks later.

Binani Industries had deposited US$115m with HDFC Bank to show its commitment to the deal with UltraTech, along with a bank guarantee for nearly US$1bn. However, Dalmia Bharat had sent letters to all the banks involved saying that any settlement initiated by them would be a breach of trust as they had entered into a contract with Dalmia.

India: Heidelberg Cement India has been certified as over six times net water positive by TOV SOD, an independent certifying agency. During the 2016 – 2017 financial year the company’s cement plants withdrew 1.09kL of water from various sources but they harvested 6.97kL of water. This implies that the company collected more water from sustainable sources, such as rainfall, than it used. The company's multidimensional approach includes diverting rainwater to
reservoirs, installing water harvesting systems, reviving of bore wells, controlling seepage and educating its staff on water conservation.