Global Cement News

Uzbekistan: Shriram EPC, a subsidiary of India-based conglomerate SEPC, has been awarded a US$325m contract from JV Ohongron Sement to build a 3Mt/yr greenfield cement plant in Urgaz Village, Akhangaran District, reports NDTV Profit. Shriram EPC will handle design, engineering, project management, civil works, supply, erection, testing and commissioning at the plant. The project will be completed over the next 30 months, according to an exchange filing.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines will invest US$6.5m to upgrade its La Union plant and increase the use of alternative fuels and raw materials to 40%. The project will be implemented by Sinoma CBMIPH Construction and will be completed by late 2025, reports the Manila Bulletin.

Nicolas George, Holcim Philippines president and CEO, said the investment aims to reduce CO₂ emissions, promote recycling, support local waste management and provide income for northern Luzon farmers, who will supply biomass residues as alternative fuels.

General manager Zeng Youbing of Sinoma CBMIPH Construction said “This marks the third collaboration between Sinoma CBMIPH and Holcim Philippines since 2021. We are honoured to contribute to Holcim Philippines' decarbonisation and sustainability goals.”

UK: UK-based startup Cocoon has raised €4.9m in pre-seed funding to develop technology that repurposes byproducts from electrified steel furnaces into a ‘near-identical replacement’ for blast furnace slag, according to the company. The modular technology integrates into existing steel-making processes without disrupting operations or requiring high capital expenditure, reports UK Tech News. Cocoon targets a 50% replacement of cement in concrete, aiming to reduce emissions for producers. Initial tests are underway at a steel plant in northern England, followed by another in the US.

Cocoon CEO Eliot Brooks said "We’re turning a byproduct with little use into a valuable product that the market badly needs and can be easily integrated into existing supply chains. By repairing a broken link in the circular economy, Cocoon provides steel makers with a new revenue stream while meeting the low-carbon material needs of the concrete industry. For every 1t of Cocoon’s slag-based cementitious material used, 1t of CO₂ can be avoided."

Brooks hopes Cocoon's climate technology will be integrated into a pilot plant by late 2025.

Uganda: West International Holding has commenced construction of a US$200m cement factory on 50 acres in Buikwe District, reports the Daily Monitor. The plant is located in Njeru municipality and construction is expected to complete by August 2025. It will employ 1800 workers and produce 4000t/day of cement.

Ambrose Byona, group director, said “This factory is going to support markets in the Central (Kampala areas), Mwanza in Tanzania and Mugingo in Kenya. We also want to use the railway to transport these products to avoid wearing out the road with loaded trucks.” The project will also provide a health centre and a school for the community.

Balaam Barugahara, state minister for gender, labour and social development, assured that local youth employment will be prioritised. However, Njeru municipality mayor Yassin Kyaze asked the company not to exploit employees like most plants in Njeru municipality are allegedly doing, saying such conduct has cast most plants negatively in the public domain.

Colombia: Cementos Argos recorded revenues of US$329m in the second quarter of 2024, down 1% from the same period in 2023. The company’s quarterly earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was US$68.8m, while net profit reached US$31.2m. This net profit result includes the markets where it operates directly and the 31% stake it holds in Summit Materials in the US. According to the company, this result is explained "by the impact of seasonality in Summit's operations, which generate most of its net profit during the second and third quarters of the year."

Cementos Argos shipped 2.5Mt of cement across Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean in the second quarter of 2024, up 2%. However, in Colombia alone, volumes fell by 5% to 1.3Mt, despite rising exports. The company recorded a 14% rise in quarterly EBITDA to US$41.2m, with year-to-date EBITDA up by 11% to US$89.6m. In Central America and the Caribbean, Q2 2024 EBITDA was US$38m, a 13% year-on-year increase.

Cementos Argos expects improvements in Colombia's cement deliveries over the next 12 to 18 months due to stabilising new home sales, reduced mortgage rates, moderated inflation and improved housing subsidies.