US: Titan Cement has announced that its subsidiary, Titan America, has launched its initial public offering (IPO) of 24 million common shares, comprising 9 million new shares to be issued and 15 million existing shares to be sold. The IPO is expected to price between US$15-18 per share.

Following completion, Titan Cement will retain 160,362,465 shares, representing 87% ownership of Titan America.

Colombia: Cementos Argos has obtained third-party verification for an environmental product declaration (EPD) for the Type VII cement produced at its Cartagena plant.

Tomás Restrepo, vice president of Cementos Argos, said "This certificate validates our efforts to reduce environmental impacts, optimise resources and offer a high-quality material that responds to the needs of each of our clients' projects.”

Afghanistan: The Jabal al-Saraj cement plant project in Parwan province has completed 90% of initial exploration work, along with the drilling of 18 deep wells for mineral sampling, according to Tolo news.

The facility has been contracted between the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum and a Qatari firm, and is valued at US$220m.

Mohammad Idris Anwari, the governor of Parwan, said "The contracting company has completed 90% of the exploration work within six months, ahead of schedule. We are hopeful that the remaining construction and technical work will be completed within two years."

The plant will initially produce 3000t/day (0.96Mt/yr) of cement, rising to 9000t/day (2.9Mt/yr) in later phases. The project will reportedly create 5000 jobs.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Heidelberg Materials has agreed to divest its 91% stake in Cimenterie de Lukala, a cement producer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to WIH Cement Developing Company. The transaction comprises an integrated cement plant in Lukala, near the capital of Kinshasa. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Completion is expected in 2025, subject to regulatory approvals.