Global Cement News

Sri Lanka: Domestic cement demand rose to 4.71Mt since July 2024, up from 3.96Mt, according to Tokyo Cement. The company attributed the increase to the ‘latent demand and low base effect of the previous year.’ It said that local production has expanded, despite intensified competition from a new grinding operator and multiple cement importers, capitalising on the relaxed cement import restrictions. The company expects demand to improve further, supported by private sector-led construction and government infrastructure projects.

However, Tokyo Cement warned “The heightened volatility in the global trade policies and ongoing regional conflicts pose downside risks that add to the uncertainty and may jeopardise some of the hard-fought economic gains the country is working towards.”

It added “These factors may constrain capital inflows, dampen export prospects and impede economic recovery.”

Switzerland: Cement deliveries rose by 3% year-on-year to 0.99Mt in the second quarter of 2025, from April – June 2025, confirming a positive trend reversal that began earlier in the year, according to Cemsuisse.

The association called this trend ‘gratifying’, saying that the sector continues to benefit from favourable interest rates, and it expects continued strength in construction for the remainder of 2025. However, it noted a 3% year-on-year decline in the share of cement transported by rail to 35%, attributing this to ‘deteriorating’ rail freight conditions.

Vietnam: Vietnam produced 90Mt of cement in the first half of 2025, up by 15% year-on-year, according to the latest data from the government’s National Statistics Office. June 2025 production rose by 27% year-on-year to reach 17.1Mt in June 2025. Revised 2024 data showed full-year output at 184.2Mt, up by 3.5% year-on-year.

UK: Holcim UK has welcomed a €33.1m investment by the National Wealth Fund into the Peak Cluster carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, which will decarbonise 40% of the UK’s cement and lime production and support over 2000 existing jobs, as well as creating new ones. Led by Progressive Energy, Peak Cluster is a partnership between Holcim UK, Breedon, Tarmac and Sigma Roc involving cement and lime plants in Derbyshire and Staffordshire, including Holcim UK’s 1Mt/yr Cauldon plant. The project aims to reduce annual carbon emissions from its partners by 3Mt/yr from 2032 (25% of annual CO₂ output for the area), by capturing CO₂ from the plants and transporting it by pipeline to Morecambe Net Zero's disused gas fields under the East Irish Sea.

The investment will fund front-end engineering and design (FEED) and other studies to support a final investment decision in 2028. Holcim UK CEO Lee Sleight said that CCS is ‘essential’ to decarbonise cement manufacturing and achieve net zero by 2050.

Peak Cluster CEO John Egan said it will create a ‘backbone of industrial opportunity’ across northern England.

Vietnam: Vietnam Cement Industry Corporation (Vicem) recorded a consolidated after-tax profit of US$1.3m in the first half of 2025, following two consecutive years of losses, according to The Investor magazine. Clinker production reached 7.96Mt, up by 6.5% year-on-year, while cement exports totalled 0.71Mt. Looking ahead to the rest of 2025, Vicem expects domestic cement consumption to grow in the second half of 2025 due to increased public investment in infrastructure and recovering real estate supply, despite challenges from rain and storms in the northern and central regions, which could potentially affect demand. In addition, the industry continues to face challenges such as oversupply, price competition and changing customer preferences.

Vicem chair Nguyen Quoc Viet said that the company will focus on maintaining profitability by optimising clinker operations, enhancing efficiency and securing raw material supplies by securing a license and approval for mining exploration. It will also reportedly invest in technology upgrades and accelerate waste heat recovery power projects to reduce energy costs and CO₂ emissions.

Vicem manages 10 plants, housing 16 production lines, with an annual capacity of 20Mt/yr of clinker and 27Mt/yr of cement. It was the only one of six firms under the Ministry of Construction to report a loss in 2024, when it recorded a consolidated loss of US$55.15m.