Global Cement News

Bosnia & Herzegovina: Hungary-based Talentis International Construction completed its acquisition of Lukavac Cement at the end of December 2023. SeeNews has reported that the conglomerate first signed a letter of intent with Lukavac Cement’s former owner, Austria-based Asamer Baustoffe, in mid-2023.

The acquisition adds Lukavac Cement’s 650,000t/yr Lukavac cement plant and Vijenac limestone mine to Talentis International Construction’s existing Southeast European assets, situated in Croatia and Romania.

India: UltraTech Cement has deployed five electric clinker trucks at its Dhar cement plant in Madhya Pradesh. Asian News International has reported that the trucks will convey clinker to the producer’s Dhule grinding plant in Maharashtra. The company expects the trucks to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 680t/yr.

UltraTech Cement is committed to electrifying 500 vehicles across its operations by the end of June 2025.

UK: James Hardie has launched its new 11mm Hardie Panel fibre cement panel in the UK market. The producer says that the panel brings extra robustness in addition to the performance benefits of its existing 8mm Hardie Panel. It added that 11mm Hardie Panel is 50% cheaper than comparable products on the market.

Zimbabwe: Labenmon Investments and China-based West International Holding have partnered for the construction of the planned US$1bn Magunje cement plant in Mashonaland West. The plant will have an integrated capacity of 900,000t/yr, and additional clinker capacity of 1.8Mt/yr. The Zimbabwe Mail newspaper has reported that it will also be equipped with 100MW captive power plant. Construction of a building materials production complex in neighbouring Karoi will commence in parallel with the Magunje cement plant project. Construction of the Magunje plant will generate 5000 jobs in the local area, according to West International Holding. The partners expect the plant, when operational, to help to close a local supply gap.

India: The government’s Income Tax Department fined Shree Cement US$481m on 5 January 2024. The fine is for the company’s use of falsified bills in relation to a non-existent waste management plant to claim US$1.02bn-worth of tax deductions between April 2014 and March 2023.

The Economic Times newspaper, breaking the story, reported that neither Shree Cement nor the Income Tax Department has yet issued a statement.