Egypt: Arabian Cement Company (ACC) has signed a €25m loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The loan will be used to assist the company’s decarbonisation efforts. It will finance the company’s alternative fuel capacity expansion and automation of its facilities. The company will also acquire and install a hydrogen injection system at its Ain Sokhna cement plant. This will reduce CO₂ emissions by 130,000t/yr.

CEO of Arabian Cement, Sergio Alcantarilla, said "This agreement with EBRD is a key milestone in ACC's sustainability journey, supporting our transition to cleaner technologies. The integration of the hydrogen injection at our Ain Sokhna plant will enhance operational efficiency and significantly reduce our carbon footprint."

Italy: Cementir Holding recorded cement and clinker sales volumes growth of 0.5% year-on-year in 2024, to 10.7Mt. Revenue fell by 0.4% year-on-year to €1.69bn, while earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 1% year-on-year to €407m. Profit before tax fell by 2% to €285m. The producer targets an increase in revenue to €2bn and EBITDA to €465m by 2027.

Francesco Caltagirone, chair and CEO, said “2024 has been another satisfactory year for our group, which demonstrated remarkable resilience despite the complex geopolitical and macroeconomic backdrop. We are preparing to face the next three years with a strengthened industrial footprint, thanks to: the upgraded Kiln 4 in Belgium, which will enhance efficiency through increased alternative fuels usage; the second production line in Egypt, now fully operational and able to generate additional export revenue; and the opportunity to completely decarbonise our Aalborg plant by 2030 with a limited investment. We look forward to the challenges ahead with renewed confidence.”

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement recorded net sales of US$4.4bn, up by 3% year-on-year, from 1 April 2024 to December 2024. Sales were US$4.3bn in the corresponding period of 2023.

The company’s financial report stated “During the nine months ended 31 December 2024, the Japanese economy showed a moderate recovery trend, partly due to the effect of various government policies under an improving employment and income situation. However, the outlook remained uncertain due to factors such as the protracted situation in Ukraine and continued yen depreciation.”

It also stated that domestic cement demand was affected by multiple factors, such as a labour shortage, the adoption of a five-day week for the construction industry and a shortage of lightweight aggregates. It reported that demand decreased 6% year-on-year to 25.15Mt, of which imported cement increased 26% year-on-year to 10,000t. Total exports increased by 25% year-on-year to 6.24Mt. The group’s domestic cement sales volume decreased by 5% year-on-year to 9.52Mt, with exports increasing by 22% to 2.4Mt. Its cement businesses in US, Vietnam and the Philippines all also saw a decrease in sales volumes.

France: Hoffmann Green has reported a revenue of €13.2m in 2024, doubling its revenue from 2023. The sale of cements contributed €2.8m, while entry fees from licensing agreements contributed €10.5m. The producer sold 16,269t of cement in 2024, despite the deterioration of the local market. It signed licensing agreements in the US, UK and Ireland, and expects to reach its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) break-even point in 2024.

Co-founders of Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann, said "Despite a stagnant national construction market, Hoffmann Green has achieved a historic 2024 financial year, doubling its revenue, reaching an estimated EBITDA break-even for the first time since the company was founded, and the signing of numerous partnerships, particularly as part of our international development."