Global Cement News

Malaysia: Makin Teguh Sdn Bhd (MTSB) has increased its production of cement to 700t/day to address construction demand in Sabah’s east coast amid a blockade affecting Cement Industries Sabah (CIS), according to the Daily Express. The plant was commissioned in October 2023.

The blockade reportedly stems from a land ownership dispute, where individuals have blocked an access road, leaving CIS unable to distribute cement from its facility.

Charlie Lee Puan Kiang, MTSB operations director, said “Our primary objective is ensuring stable cement supply throughout Sabah’s east coast. We are encouraging hardware stores and cement distributors to use our abundant supply.”

Saudi Arabia: Tabuk Cement has announced a 10% increase in production costs following a fuel price adjustment by Saudi Aramco, effective 1 January 2025. The financial impact will reflect in the company’s results from the first quarter of 2025.

Argentina: Cement despatches dropped by 24% year-on-year to 9.56Mt in 2024, the lowest annual level reported since 2009, according to the Association of Portland Cement Manufacturers. Total dispatches in 2024 reached 9.5Mt, 24% lower compared to 2023 when dispatches were 12.5Mt. Dispatches in December 2024 showed the lowest yearly percentage decline, falling by 5% year-on-year to 0.77Mt, 12% less than was recorded in November 2024. This marks 21 consecutive months of declines. The declines recorded from December 2023 coincide with the decision announced by President Javier Milei to end the execution of public works by the national government.

Uzbekistan: Cement production reached 14.74Mt between January and November 2024, up 32% year-on-year from 11.17Mt during the same period in 2023, according to the Statistics Agency.

India: Nuvoco Vistas has won a bidding process to acquire Vadraj Cement through a corporate insolvency resolution, according to The Economic Times. The acquisition includes Vadraj’s 6Mt/yr grinding unit in Surat and 3.5Mt/yr clinker capacity in Kutch, increasing Nuvoco Vista’s production capacity of 25Mt/yr by over 20%. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

Nuvoco will acquire Vadraj Cement through its subsidiary Vanya Corporation, which was incorporated in November 2024. The company said that it plans to fund the acquisition without a significant rise in its consolidated debt levels. It plans to invest in Vadraj Cement over 15 months to bring in operational improvements before commencing production in the third quarter of the 2027 financial year. The acquisition awaits National Company Law Tribunal approval.

The company stated in its press release “With this transaction, Nuvoco's total cement production capacity is set to increase to approximately 31Mt/yr, distributed as 19Mt/yr in the East, 6Mt/yr in the North, and 6Mt/yr in the West, consolidating its position as the fifth-largest cement group in India.”