Global Cement Newsletter

Issue: GCW712 / 04 June 2025

Headlines


A week ago, there were two fully-financed cement plant carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) projects underway in the US.1 Now, there aren’t.

Projects to decarbonise National Cement Company’s Lebec, California, plant and Heidelberg Materials North America’s Mitchell, Indiana, plant were each set to receive up to US$500m in US Department of Energy (DoE) funding on a one-for-one basis with private investments. The projects were to include eventual 950,000t/yr (Lebec) and 2Mt/yr (Mitchell) carbon capture installations. Additionally, the Lebec plant was to transition to limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) production and the use of alternative fuels (AF), including pistachio shells. Both were beneficiaries of the DoE’s US$6bn Industrial Demonstrations Program (IDP), touted by former US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm as ‘Spurring on the next generation of decarbonisation technologies in key industries [to] keep America the most competitive nation on Earth.’ Disbursement of funding under the programme was frozen by executive order of President Trump in January 2025.2, 3

On 30 May 2025, Trump’s Secretary of Energy announced that the government in which Granholm served had approved spending on industrial decarbonisation without a ‘thorough financial review.’ He cancelled remaining project funding in signature Trumpian style, in list form.4 Among 24 de-funded projects, Lebec and Mitchell accounted for US$1bn (27%) of a total US$3.73bn in allocated funds that have now been withdrawn.

It's hard not to feel sorry for the management of the Lebec and Mitchell plant and the teams that had been working to deliver these projects. Heidelberg Materials has yet to comment, though CEO Dominik von Achten was in North America in late May 2025. National Cement Company parent Vicat, meanwhile, conceded the setback with a strong statement of its commitment to CO2 reduction, to 497kg/t of cementitious product globally.5 There was a diplomatic edge to the statement too, however. Echoing the Secretary of Energy, Vicat said that its target remains ‘solely based on existing proven technologies, including energy efficiency, AF substitution and clinker rate reduction’ – as opposed to ‘any technological breakthroughs’ like carbon capture. There are currently no public details of possible back-up financing arrangements for these projects; for now, the best guess at their status is ‘uncertain.’

Alongside these group’s local subsidiaries, another organisation that has to do business daily with the DoE is the American Cement Association (ACA). President and CEO Mike Ireland has continually acknowledged the complex needs of the government, while stating the association’s case for keeping support in place. With regard to these funding cuts, Ireland’s emphasis fell on the latter side: “Today’s announcement is candidly a missed opportunity for both America’s cement manufacturers and this administration, as CCS projects have long been supported by bipartisan members in Congress and bipartisan administrations.”6 He reasserted the ACA’s understanding that carbon capture aligns with the administration’s strategy to bolster domestic manufacturing and innovation.

The early 2020s heyday of US carbon capture was founded on gradual, consensus-based politics – unlike its demise. Table 1 (below) gives a non-exhaustive account of recent and on-going front-end engineering design (FEED) studies and the funding they received:

 

Capture target

DoE funding

Programme

Amrize Florence7

0.73Mt/yr

US$1.4m (52%)

Fossil Energy Research and Development

Amrize Ste. Genevieve

2.76Mt/yr

US$4m (80%)

NETL Point Source Carbon Capture

Ash Grove Foreman8

1.4Mt/yr

US$7.6m (50%)

Carbon Capture Demonstrations Projects Program

Cemex USA Balcones9

0.67Mt/yr

US$3.7m (80%)

Fossil Energy Research and Development

Heidelberg Materials North America Mitchell

2Mt/yr

US$3.7m (77%)

Fossil Energy Research and Development

TOTAL

7.56Mt/yr

US$20.2m

N/A

Additionally, MTR Carbon Capture, which is executing a carbon capture pilot at St Marys Cement’s Charlevoix plant in Michigan, previously received US$1.5m in Fossil Energy Research and Development funding towards a total US$3.7m for an unspecified cement plant carbon capture study.10

Market researcher Greenlight Insights valued industrial decarbonisation initiatives under the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (ODEC – the now defunct DoE office responsible, among other things, for the IDP) at US$65.9bn in cumulative returns in April 2025.11 The government has yet to publish any account of how it might replace this growth, or the 291,000 anticipated new jobs that would have come with it. Given all this (along with the extensive financial and technical submissions that accompanied each project), the issues raised by the DoE are presumably budgetary, or else founded in a perception of CCUS as essentially uneconomical.

Carbon capture is very, very expensive. A fatuous reply is that so is climate change, just with a few more ‘verys.’ Hurricane Ian in September 2022 cost US$120bn, more than enough to fund carbon capture installations at all 91 US cement plants, along the lines of the former Lebac and Mitchell agreements.12 Unlike climate change, however, carbon capture remains unproven. Advocates need to continually justify taxpayer involvement in such a high-risk venture.

At its Redding cement plant in California, Lehigh Hanson successfully delivered a funding-free FEED study, with its partner Fortera raising US$85m in a Series C funding. This presents an alternative vision of innovation as fully-privatised, in which the government might still have the role of shaping demand. This is borne out in the IMPACT Act, a bill which ‘sailed through’ the lower legislature in March 2025.13 If enacted, it will empower state and municipal transport departments to pledge to buy future outputs of nascent reduced-CO2 cements and concretes.

A separate aspect of the funding cancellation that appears decidedly cruel is the targeted removal of grants to start-ups. Two alternative building materials developers – Brimstone and Sublime Systems – were listed for a combined US$276m of now vapourised liquidity. Both are commercially viable without the funding, but the effect of this reversal – including on the next generation of US innovators who hoped to follow in their footsteps – can only be chilling. As non-governmental organisation Industrious Labs said of the anticipated closure of the ODEC in April 2025: “We may see companies based in other geographies start to pull ahead.”

Heidelberg Materials’s Brevik carbon capture plant came online in June 2025, 54 months after the producer secured approval for the project. The term of a presidency is 48 months. This probably means that producers in the US will no longer see CCUS as a viable investment, even under sympathetic administrations.

Even as government funding for CCS flickers from ‘dormant’ to ‘extinct,’ the sun is rising on other US projects. Monarch Cement Company commissioned a 20MW solar power plant at its Humboldt cement plant in Kansas on 27 May 2025. The global momentum is behind decarbonisation, even if economics determines that it will only take the form of smaller-scale mitigation measures at US cement plants into the medium-term future. We can hope that these, at least, might include the AF and LC3 aspects of National Cement Company’s plans at Lebec.

 

References

1. Clean Air Task Force, ‘Global Carbon Capture Activity and Project Map,’ accessed 3 June 2025, www.catf.us/ccsmapglobal/

2. Democrats Appropriations, ‘Issue 5: Freezing the Industrial Demonstrations Program Undermines U.S. Manufacturing Competitiveness and Strands Private Investment,’ January 2025, www.democrats-appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-appropriations.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/5%20DOE%20Frozen%20Funding%20-%20Industrial%20Demos.pdf

3. Colorado Attorney General, ‘Attorney General Phil Weiser secures court order blocking Trump administration’s illegal federal funding freeze,’ 6 March 2025, www.coag.gov/press-releases/weiser-court-order-trump-federal-funding-freeze-3-6-25/

4. US Department of Energy, ‘Secretary Wright Announces Termination of 24 Projects, Generating Over $3 Billion in Taxpayer Savings,’ 30 May 2025, www.energy.gov/articles/secretary-wright-announces-termination-24-projects-generating-over-3-billion-taxpayer

5. Vicat, ‘Cancellation of funding agreement for the Lebec Net Zero project by the US Department of Energy,’ 3 June 2025, www.vicat.com/news/cancellation-funding-agreement-lebec-net-zero-project-us-department-energy

6. American Cement Association, ‘Statement from the American Cement Association on Department of Energy’s Cancellation of Clean Energy Grants,’ 30 May 2025, www.cement.org/2025/05/30/statement-from-the-american-cement-association-on-department-of-energys-cancellation-of-clean-energy-grants/

7. Gov Tribe, ‘Cooperative Agreement DEFE0031942,’ 30 September 2022, www.govtribe.com/award/federal-grant-award/cooperative-agreement-defe0031942

8. Higher Gov, ‘DECD0000010 Cooperative Agreement,’ 13 May 2024, www.highergov.com/grant/DECD0000010/

9. Gov Tribe, ‘Cooperative Agreement DEFE0032222,’ 7 February 2025, www.govtribe.com/award/federal-grant-award/cooperative-agreement-defe0032222

10. Higher Gov, ‘DEFE0031949 Cooperative Agreement,’ 1 May 2023, www.highergov.com/grant/DEFE0031949/

11. Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, ‘Jobs, Economic Impact of OCED Closure,’ 11 April 2025, www.c2es.org/press-release/oced-closure-could-cost-65-billion-290000-jobs/

12. National Centers for Environmental Information, ‘Events,’ accessed 4 June 2025, www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/events/US/2022?disasters%5B%5D=tropical-cyclone

13. US Congress, ‘H.R.1534 - IMPACT Act,’ 26 March 2025, www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1534


Costa Rica: Cementos Progreso has appointed Andrés Bolaños Amerling as Country Director for Costa Rica. He holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and a Master’s of Business Studies. He has worked in the cement and concrete sector for 20 years, including more than 16 years at Cemex and four years at Cicomex, working in Costa Rica for both companies. He joined Cementos Progreso in September 2022.

Bolaños said "I begin this new phase with the commitment to continue building on Progreso's 125-year legacy in the region, and particularly in my country. We will continue to invest in the renovation and improvement of our equipment and plants, always with the goal of being our customers' preferred supplier, without compromising the safety of our employees and stakeholders, who are our number one priority."


Kenya: A judge has upheld the appointment of Mohamed Osman Adan as the managing director of East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC). Employment and Labour Relations Court judge Byram Ongaya ruled that Adan was the only applicant to meet the 70% score threshold as prescribed in the company’s Human Resources and Procedures Manual.

“The court finds that the board’s recommendation that Mr Adan be appointed the managing director cannot be defeated upon the tests in Article 73(2) (a) on selection on the basis of personal integrity, competence, and suitability; and, Article 232 (g) on fair competition and merit as the basis of appointments and promotions,” said Ongaya.

Mr Adan’s appointment had been challenged by lawyer Apollo Mboya, who alleged that the board of directors had overturned Kenyan President William Ruto’s appointment of Bruno Oguda Obodha as managing director.


Canada/Greece: Titan Group and Carbon Upcycling Technologies have entered into a memorandum of agreement to explore the commercial deployment of Carbon Upcycling’s technology for producing local, low-carbon building materials. Carbon Upcycling will conduct feasibility studies at two Titan cement plants, with the aim of producing supplementary cementitious materials using captured CO₂ and local materials.

Carbon Upcycling’s demonstration plant is currently operating in western Canada, and the company is now developing its flagship commercial-scale project in eastern Canada.


Mexico: Cemex will invest US$1.4bn in 2025 to strengthen its financial position, maintain liquidity and focus on projects delivering high profitability, including potential acquisitions in the US. Between January and March 2025, it invested US$221m, down from US$249m in the same period of 2024. It expects to invest a further US$1.15bn over the rest of 2025, subject to financial results and market conditions.

Cemex CEO Jaime Muguiro Domínguez said that the company will eventually transition its capital expenditure to acquisitions of small and medium-sized companies in the US that can ‘provide greater profitability.’ He added “Given the increased uncertainty in the current global macroeconomic environment, we will make sure that our capital allocation decisions do not compromise our financial metrics.”


Japan: Domestic cement sales in April 2025 fell by 5% year-on-year to 2.6Mt, according to the Japan Cement Association. This marked the 32nd consecutive monthly decline, attributed to reduced construction hours under overtime restrictions. The Tohoku and Chugoku regions recorded the steepest falls, with labour shortages and rising construction costs driving the decline in Chugoku. Domestic demand has been in decline for six consecutive years, and continues to decline due to a combination of factors including the chronic labour shortage at construction sites, rising construction costs and the longer construction period due to the introduction of a full two-day weekend system at construction sites in recent years.


Jordan: Exports to Syria reached record levels on 2 June 2025, with 1700 trucks crossing the Jaber border, more than double the usual daily average, according to Amman Chamber of Commerce president Khalil Haj Tawfiq.

Haj Tawfiq said “Cement was the primary export, marking a significant boost in construction-related trade,” adding that “This level of export activity is unprecedented.”

Cement reportedly accounted for more than 10,654 truckloads. Haj Tawfiq attributed the rise in exports to Syria to increased trade activity ahead of Eid Al Adha and renewed economic cooperation between the two countries, particularly around reconstruction efforts.


Uzbekistan: Local cement companies produced 4.76Mt of cement between January and April 2025, up by 5.5% year-on-year from 4.51Mt in 2024, according to the National Statistical Committee. Output was from 3.27Mt in 2023.


Spain: Holcim is exploring the use of char as an alternative fuel in cement production as part of the Plastics2Olefins project, in collaboration with Geocycle. The producer is evaluating char samples made from different types of plastic waste.

Geocycle plant manager Cristina Gómez said “Since char properties can vary depending on the feedstock, the company is conducting detailed evaluations – looking at calorific value, moisture content, heavy metals, halogens, and sulphur levels, among other parameters.”

These full-scale industrial tests aim to understand how char behaves during combustion, how it affects emissions of CO₂, NOx, and SOx, and whether it impacts the stability of the production process or the quality of the cement. Char samples produced at the Repsol pilot plant are being tested at two of Holcim’s facilities: the Quality Central Laboratory and Geocycle Albox. Gómez added “These comprehensive tests provide a solid understanding of char’s properties and help anticipate how it will perform in real-world industrial conditions.”

Holcim is also experimenting with blends of char and petcoke to optimise energy performance and environmental compliance.


UK: Holcim UK will roll out Fuelre4m’s Re4mx fuel reforming technology across more than 200 sites nationwide, following three years of testing that the company says improved fuel efficiency and helped reduce emissions across operations.

Holcim UK supply chain director Edern Lalanne said “This agreement is the result of meticulous testing, collaboration and operational learning. We have seen consistent results with Re4mx across a wide range of use cases, and it aligns directly with our commitment to sustainable innovation and operational excellence. This is about measurable outcomes, not promises, and Fuelre4m has delivered both the data and the support to back it up. This is part of our mission to make sustainable construction a reality and continues our journey to achieve net-zero by 2050.”

Re4mx will be delivered in pre-measured containers and dosed directly into on-site fuel systems. Holcim says that the rollout has been designed for ease, speed and zero disruption to infrastructure or workflows. Manufacturing is underway, with shipments to the UK beginning once production is complete. From there, Re4mx will be distributed site-by-site across Holcim’s network, through Fuelre4m’s VIRDIS (Virtual Distribution) system, in preparation for full dosing from 1 September 2025.


Russia: Katavsky Cement has modernised rotary kiln No. 4, raising clinker production capacity by 15% from 888,000t/yr to 927,000t/yr. According to Cemros, the project formed part of a corporate programme of improvements to increase production efficiency, valued at around US$760,000. Specialists reportedly encountered the problem of clinker defects when increasing the feed of raw meal due to insufficient heat exchange in the kiln system. To eliminate the problem, the plant updated the cyclone heat exchanger, stabilised the air supply and combustion of additional fuel, and improved the clinker cooling system.

General director Vyacheslav Lyubimtsev said “Modernisation of kiln No. 4 is a consistent step in the development of the plant. In 2024, similar work was carried out to increase the productivity of furnace No. 3 by 30%. The new result confirms the effectiveness of the chosen strategy.”


The Gambia: Jah Oil has announced the imminent arrival of a 53,000t cement shipment in Banjul by 4 June 2025 to address the national shortage and maintain a new, lower price, according to the Foroyaa newspaper. Managing director Momodou Hydara said the supply will stabilise the market, with smaller 4000t shipments already underway to meet immediate demand.

Hydara denied internal issues, calling the disruption “a normal phenomenon that can happen to any business.” He said “Our company has sufficient capacity to continue meeting national demand.” He blamed global disruptions, citing President Trump’s tariffs on Vietnamese cement that redirected US demand to Egypt and Türkiye, Jah Oil’s main suppliers. “All of a sudden, the supplier couldn't catch up with that competition and informed us about a huge increase in price,” Hydara said.

He added that Jah Oil alerted the Gambian government early but received no immediate response. He said the company later explained that global pricing pressures and the Dalasi’s depreciation against the US Dollar made the existing price unsustainable.


Egypt: South Valley Cement recorded net losses after tax of US$6.4m in the first quarter of 2025, up by 586% year-on-year from US$0.9m in the first quarter of 2024. The company’s sales rose to roughly US$13.3m in the first quarter of 2025, up from about US$6.6m in the same period of 2024.


Kazakhstan: China-based Sinoma Cement will build a new integrated cement plant in the Baiganinsky district of the Aktobe region, in partnership with Kazakh investment firm Pimus Capital. The 3500t/day capacity plant is scheduled for launch in the second half of 2027. The US$200m project is expected to create 1260 jobs. It will reduce reliance on cement imports, particularly from Russia and Iran, and meet growing demand from western Kazakhstan’s construction sector. The company has reportedly completed geological work to confirm reserves and quality of raw materials and concluded an investment agreement. This is Sinoma Cement’s first project in central Asia, and it said it plans to invest in more projects in Kazakhstan.


US: The Trump administration has cancelled a US$500m grant awarded in December 2024 to National Cement in California for the conversion of its Lebec cement plant into the state’s first net-zero cement facility. The project, valued at US$891m, aimed to switch to limestone calcined clay cement and use agricultural waste as fuel, with CO₂ captured for permanent underground storage, according to the Bakersfield Californian newspaper. It was expected to create 20 - 25 permanent jobs. The US Department of Energy (DOE) said the project was among 24 grants worth US$3.7bn cancelled due to failure “to advance the energy needs of the American people,” and cited economic infeasibility and poor return on taxpayer investment.

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said that the previous administration “failed to conduct a thorough financial review before signing away billions of taxpayer dollars.”

Executive director Steven Nadel of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy said “Choosing to cancel these awards is shortsighted, and I think we're going to look back at this moment with regret.”

The project was one of 33 cement, steel and aluminium decarbonisation projects awarded DOE grants in 2023. The project turned up on an April 2025 list of 39 projects the DOE's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations was considering terminating.


Switzerland/US: Holcim will complete the 100% spin-off of its North American business, Amrize, with trading expected to begin on 23 June 2025. The US Securities and Exchange Commission has declared effective the Amrize Form 10 Registration Statement, and Amrize has received authorisation to list shares on the New York Stock Exchange and the SIX Swiss Exchange under ‘AMRZ’.

Holcim shareholders approved the move with 99.75% in favour at the company’s annual general meeting on 14 May 2025. Each Holcim shareholder will receive one Amrize share per Holcim share owned as of close of business on 20 June 2025. The spin-off will be treated as tax neutral for Swiss tax and tax-free for US federal income tax purposes. S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s Ratings rated Amrize at BBB+ and Baa1, respectively, both with stable outlooks.


Kyrgyzstan: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has initiated a discussion on a draft cabinet resolution to classify cement as a socially significant good, enabling the government to regulate its price amid concerns over unjustified increases. The ministry said the move would stabilise the construction market, reduce housing costs and improve affordability, as price increases have hindered the construction of social and infrastructure projects. Officials said the only likely negative impact would be reduced profits for producers and intermediaries under market volatility. The draft is open for public discussion until 13 June 2025.

The Kyrgyz cabinet previously lifted a cement import ban to ease supply constraints and meet rising demand.


Greece: Holcim has broken ground at the Olympus project at its Milaki plant, which will produce 2Mt/yr of ‘near-zero-CO2’ cement from 2029. The producer will invest €400m in the development, and it has secured €125m from the EU Innovation Fund. The plant will combine OxyCalciner and Cryocap FG technologies for carbon capture. Holcim said the project would create over 1000 jobs for the local area.

Holcim CEO Miljan Gutovic said “The Olympus project in Greece is one of our seven large-scale, EU-supported carbon capture, utilisation and storage projects that are setting the Clean Industrial Deal in motion. Together, these will enable Holcim to offer over 8Mt/yr of near-zero cement across Europe by 2030.”


UAE: Emsteel has signed a strategic partnership with Finnish company Magsort to produce decarbonised cement using steel slag. The agreement follows an industrial-scale pilot at its Al Ain plant that used 10,000t of steel slag to produce low-carbon cement. To meet growing local demand, Emsteel will build an integrated line at the Al Ain facility to process steel residue from its Abu Dhabi steel plant.


India: GoldCrest Cement will build a greenfield integrated plant with a 3.5Mt/yr clinker capacity and 4.5Mt/yr cement capacity. GoldCrest Cement appointed Humboldt Wedag India as engineering, procurement and construction contractor in March 2025 and targets completion by March 2027. It has signed a 40-year supply agreement with Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation for 150Mt of limestone from its upcoming Lakhpat Punrajpur mine in Gujarat.


Türkiye: Cementir Holding subsidiaries Çimentaş and Alfacem have entered a binding agreement to sell 100% of Kars Çimento to Arkoz Madencilik. Kars owns a 0.6Mt/yr integrated cement plant in northeastern Türkiye. The transaction is valued at €51m and is expected to complete by the end of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals. The company currently employs approximately 90 people.

Cementir Holding chair and CEO Francesco Caltagirone said “This divestment is part of our commitment to enhancing our operational efficiency and strengthening our competitive positioning by focusing on high-growth regions.”


Türkiye: Oyak Cement will convert Mill 3 at its Darıca integrated cement plant to a slag grinding unit, according to local press reports.

The company has submitted the project to the government and the environmental impact assessment process has reportedly begun. The US$252,000 investment will add 14 jobs. The modified facility will grind 1200t/day (360,000t/yr) of slag, along with 18,000t of limestone in its other mills.


Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos has received and begun installing a new cement mill at its Salto de Pirapora plant near São Paulo as part of its US$878m national expansion programme.

The 210t mill took six months to arrive from China via ship, and was then transported by a truck convoy from the Port of Santos to the plant. The mill will increase the plant’s capacity by 1Mt/yr. The unit is part of the Salto-Santa Helena complex, which will see its capacity grow by 20% when the expansion completes in the second half of 2025. Construction began in the first half of 2024.

General manager Rafael Frederico said “We are celebrating a new phase in the expansion project of the Salto de Pirapora plant with the arrival of the mill and all the equipment for assembling the new mill. The operation to transport the equipment from China to our unit was complex and executed with great operational excellence by our multidisciplinary teams and partners.”


US: Monarch Cement and Evergy Energy Solutions have celebrated the completion of a 39-hectare solar array, with a capacity of 20MW, according to The Chanute Tribune. The facility was inaugurated with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by representatives from both companies. It will supply up to 33% of Monarch’s Humboldt cement plant’s energy needs. Monarch Cement president Kent Webber said the project took three years to complete.

Evergy also planted native pollinator-friendly grasses and plants to boost underground biomass, improve water infiltration and offer the potential to capture CO₂. The project reduces water demand compared to conventional power generation.


Myanmar: Cement prices have more than doubled in Mandalay, Naypyitaw and Sagaing following the earthquake in March 2025, delaying reconstruction efforts, according to The Irrawaddy newspaper. The regime reportedly promised to subsidise cement prices for reconstruction work, but this has only happened in Naypyitaw. In Sagaing city, most building supply shops were damaged by the earthquake and remain closed, leading to long queues at businesses that are still operating.

The Indian government recently donated 4500 bags of cement for reconstruction efforts, but residents say this will mostly be used in Naypyitaw. A building sector source said “The construction industry is also suffering from labour shortages. We are not doing any building work, just demolitions. We have to buy any brand of product, including domestically produced cement. Even the big companies are rationing cement sales.”

Cement prices were reportedly increasing before the earthquake due to a decline in production. Only six of the country’s nine cement plants are now operating, producing around 340,000 bags per day. In April 2025, officials inspected over 300 building suppliers and prosecuted more than 60 for overcharging.


Morocco: Cement sales rose by 10% year-on-year to 4.5Mt from January to April 2025, according to the Finance Ministry's Department of Financial Studies and Forecasts (DEPF).

In April 2025, sales jumped by 32% year-on-year, driven by good performance in all delivery segments.


Kenya: The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) has called for urgent measures to tackle the rising presence of substandard cement in the market, amid a reported increase in building collapses, according to The Eastleigh Voice newspaper. The institution has called for audits of manufacturers, enforcement of verification and random sampling from hardware stores and distribution centres.

In a statement, IEK said bags labelled as 50kg were often lighter, some weighing as little as 45kg. Its members had recorded compressive strength reductions of up to 25% in concrete made with some cement brands on the market, even those bearing the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) mark of quality.