Pakistan: The upcoming Diamer Basha Dam and 21MW Tangir Hydropower Project will use concrete made from Ordinary Portland Cement mixed with fly ash and other additives. The Frontier Works Organisation said, “This reduces thermal loads on the dam and reduces chances of thermal cracking,” according to China Daily News. The Chinese-backed project is scheduled for completion in 2028.

Oman: Oman Cement’s net profit for the first half of 2020 was US$5.39m, down by 9.9% year-on-year from US$5.98m in the first half of 2019. Sales rose by 1.1% to US$68.6m from US$67.9. The results are subject to approval by the audit committee and board.

Turkmenistan: Construction firm Turkmen Enjam has begun the second stage of construction of the 1Mt/yr Lebap plant in the Lebap region with the laying of foundation of several auxiliary facilities. The Zolotoy Vek newspaper has reported that development of the 370,000m² site is scheduled for completion in 2022 and will produce cement using gypsum and porphyritic basalt from the Ufra deposit in the Balkan region.

Russia: The railways transported 11.4Mt of cement in the first half of 2020, down by 11% year-on-year from 12.4Mt in the first half of 2019. Beton News has reported that the figure is the lowest in a decade, down by 33% from17.0Mt in the record first half of 2012.