Pakistan: Dandot Cement says that its on-going upgrade to its Lahore cement plant reached 60% completion during the fourth quarter of the 2023 financial year, which ended on 30 June 2023. The project remains scheduled for completion in July 2023. Pakistan Company News has reported that the producer has taken delivery of new equipment, completed civil construction work, handed over the site to its engineering contractor, completed 75% of mechanical erection and conducted some tests. The producer awarded a new contract for installation of remaining portions of its control systems to an Uzbekistan-based contractor. Complete sections of the project include the plant's captive solar power plant.

Dandot Cement has made total investments worth US$12.3m in the project.

Zimbabwe: Khayah Cement (formerly Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe) commissioned a new vertical roller mill at its Manresa cement plant on 6 July 2023. The Chronicle newspaper has reported that the project constituted Phase 2 of Khayah Cement's expansion to the plant.

Kyrgyzstan: Kant Cement has successfully transitioned Grinding Unit 8 of its Kant cement plant to closed cycle grinding operations. Business World News has reported that China-based CNBM Beijing Triumph carried out the work. The transition has increased the unit's production capacity by 30 - 40%.

Kant Cement's general director Pavel Dekhtyarev said "The mill previously produced 40t/hr of CEM II cement and 30t/hr of CEM I cement. Now it produces 58t/hr and 50t/hr, respectively. With this productivity, it was possible to reduce the specific energy consumption by 30% and reduce dust emissions. In addition, closed circuit grinding allows us to produce high grades of cement that could not be obtained with open circuit grinding systems."

UAE: Lafarge Emirates Cement, part of Holcim, has awarded a contract to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group subsidiary Turboden to supply and install a 10MW waste heat recovery (WHR) system at its Fujairah cement plant. The system relies on ENGIE Solutions' organic Rankine cycle technology. The supplier says that the installation will reduce the 3.2Mt/yr cement plant's energy-related CO₂ emissions by 29,000t/yr (28%).

Turboden CEO Paolo Bertuzzi said "We are proud that Holcim Group, already our customer for three other WHR plants, has again chosen Turboden for this first project in the UAE. At COP 28, this year in the UAE, we will have the opportunity to present this energy-saving and CO₂-reducing project to raise awareness in energy intensive industries."

Uzbekistan: United Cement Group (UCG) has implemented environmental social governance (ESG) standards across its Uzbek cement operations. The new standards establish transparency on the company's legal compliance, working conditions and impacts on all stakeholders.

Business World Magazine has reported that general director Serik Ukanov said "Control of emissions of harmful substances and compliance with ESG norms is carried out by each enterprise under the supervision of the holding company. Each factory of the holding has a separate 'Targets' department, which is responsible for operations, repair and maintenance, as well as the adjustment of all the dedusting installations of raw materials and grinding mills and rotary kilns. We produce monthly and quarterly emissions reports and keep statistics on the carbon footprint per tonne of cement." He continued "UCG's next big step is a multi-phase project to reduce this carbon footprint. A contract was signed with KHD Humboldt Wedag to renovate two rotary kilns."

UCG subsidiary Qizilqumsement said that it was carrying out testing at its Qizilqum cement plant in partnership with Germany-based KHD Humboldt Wedag in May 2023. The company is in the process of expanding the plant's integrated capacity by 1.8Mt/yr through the construction of its upcoming Line 4.

Taiwan: Chia Hsin Cement recorded consolidated sales of US$20.9m during the first quarter of 2023, up by 27% year-on-year from first-quarter 2022 levels. The producer reported a net income of US$640,000, down by 75% from US$2.58m in the corresponding first quarter of 2022.

China: Asia Cement has launched its 2050 decarbonisation strategy, entitled 'Net-Zero Carbon Emissions By 2050 - Asia Cement Advanced Deployment.' The strategy consists of multiple pillars, namely 'alternative fuels,' 'reducing cement's clinker factor,' 'increasing renewable energy reliance' and 'carbon capture.'

During 2022, Asia Cement reduced its limestone, clay, iron and sand consumption by 266,000t, its coal consumption by 17,000t and its gypsum consumption by 56,000t year-on-year. This eliminated 95,100t of CO₂ emissions throughout the year, according to the producer.

Uzbekistan: United Cement Group (UCG) subsidiary Kuvasaycement is building a sixth grinding unit at its Quvasoy cement plant in Fergana. Business World Magazine has reported that China-based Sinoma International Engineering will supply the equipment for the expansion, consisting of a roller press and ball mill, equipped with a separator and pre-grinder.

Kuvasaycement general director Denis Nikitin said "In recent years, we have systematically replaced outdated equipment, renewed our car fleet, installed new filters to reduce cement dust emissions and modernised cement mills in accordance with the highest requirements to which UCG adheres. The cement market in Uzbekistan is rather saturated and, in order to increase production competitiveness, we decided to commission one more cement mill to 'cover' the capacity of the existing five mills. It is also connected with additional demand for products for the construction of bridges, roads and airports. This is state-of-the-art equipment with new grinding capabilities that we have been missing."

Malaysia: Malayan Cement expects its sales of cement to remain level at 8Mt/yr throughout the 2023 and 2024 financial years. The New Straits Times newspaper has reported that the producer forecast consistent declines in its cement prices over the period. Meanwhile, it expects the price of Indonesian coal, which it imports for use as fuel, to drop to US$285/t in the 2023 financial year, then by 42% to US$165/t in the 2024 financial year and by 12% to US$145/t in the 2025 financial year.

Peru: UNACEM Peru said that it reduced its CO₂ emissions per tonne of cement by 2.7% year-on-year during 2022. Throughout the year, the company reduced its electricity consumption by 3.4%. It sourced 90% of its electricity from renewable sources and met 70% of its fuel needs with natural gas. UNACEM Peru is committed to reaching carbon neutral cement production by 2050.

In terms of community engagement, the producer benefitted 76,700 people through its social infrastructure investments and 14,1000 people through its dialogue space initiatives, and provided its remote health guidance service to 3000 people.