Global Cement News

Australia: Boral has launched upgraded ‘carbon-reducing’ technology at its Berrima Cement Works in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales (NSW). The upgraded facility features a new chlorine bypass, which reduces the build-up of chlorides and other alternative fuel byproducts. This will reportedly enable alternative fuel usage to reach 60% over the next three years at the site, doubling its current substitution rate of 30%.

Tanzania/Kenya: Savannah Clinker has abandoned its US$198m bid to acquire Bamburi Cement, leaving Tanzania-based Amsons Group as the sole bidder with an offer of US$168m. The withdrawal followed the exit of Savannah Clinker’s financier, Global Infrastructure Finance & Development Authority, due to the arrest of chair Savannah Ndeta on suspicion of fraud and the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) declining a 60-day extension request.

A spokesperson for Savannah Clinker said "The withdrawal of the competing offer has been occasioned by the recent well-publicised arrest and indictment of the chair and main shareholder of Savannah, Benson Ndeta, which has led to the financier of the competing offer seeking additional due diligence. This is further compounded by the CMA’s decision to decline a request made on 2 December 2024 to extend the offer period by 60 days."

Kyrgyzstan: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce in Kyrgyzstan has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into cement imports from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The investigation covers imports over the past three years amid a ‘sharp’ rise in import volumes, according to Kun.Uz news. Cement imports increased by 130% from January – September 2024, reaching 401,000t, with Kazakhstan exporting 269,700t of cement worth US$14.3m and Uzbekistan exporting 124,000t valued at US$9.2m. Uzbekistan’s cement exports increased from 1000t in 2023 to 123,000t during January – September 2024. The investigation aims to determine breaches of fair competition rules and protect Kyrgyz producers and the domestic market.

UK: Material Evolution has launched its 'ultra-low carbon' cement production plant, Mevo A1, in Wrexham. The facility was commissioned in October 2024 and operates on an industrial scale with a capacity to produce 120,000t/yr of its MevoCem product, which the company claims can achieve up to 85% emissions reductions compared to ordinary Portland cement. The plant uses Material Evolution's alkali-fusion process that doesn’t require heat or a kiln, producing a cement capable of undergoing geopolymerisation.

Sam Clark, co-founder and chief operating officer said "This launch takes us one step closer to achieving our goal of removing one gigaton of CO₂ by 2040."

India: Star Cement has said that it plans to expand its capacity by an additional 2Mt/yr through a greenfield project in Silchar at a cost of US$47.2m. The expansion is expected to be completed within the next two years.

This announcement comes after Star Cement dismissed reports suggesting that Adani Group subsidiary Ambuja Cement had entered talks to acquire the company, as part of its strategy to expand its presence in the Northeast. According to the Economic Times, Star Cement labelled the claims as ‘speculative’ and clarified that ‘no such discussions are underway.’

Sanjay Agarwal, joint managing director of Star Cement, said “At a time when the building materials sector is growing, we are not looking to exit this business.”

Star Cement has a total installed production capacity of 7.7Mt/yr. Its operations include a 1.67Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Meghalaya and four grinding units.