India: Cement producers in North, Central and East India have reduced production by 10 - 15% in the second quarter of 2024 due to low demand and project delays after an extended monsoon, according to The Hindu Business Line. Clinker utilisation stands at 70-75% for the quarter, down from around 80% during April – June 2024. South India remains comparatively unaffected.

World: The 19th Biennial Unified International Technical Conference on Refractories (UNITECR) has announced its call for papers for its event taking on 27 - 30 October 2025 in Cancun, Mexico. The deadline for abstracts is 20 December 2024. The meeting is being hosted by the Latin American Association of Refractories Manufacturers (ALAFAR).

Mauro Cueva, the president of UNITECR 2025, said “I invite speakers from around the world to grab the wonderful chance we offer to be at the heart of this prestigious forum for the international refractories community. Please become part of our roster for 2025 and take this fantastic opportunity to boost the knowledge base from within your own particular discipline. There will be a dynamic, receptive audience in Cancun, eager to listen, to learn, and to network. We would really love you to be part of this story.”

UNITECR held its first event in 1987 in Tokyo, Japan. The most recent outing took place in in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2023. The event, hosted by the German Refractory Association, featured over 200 speakers and more than 1100 participants in total.

For more information visit: www.unitecr2025.com/call-for-papers

South Korea: Due to high prices of cement, the government has announced plans to import Chinese cement, which is reportedly about 15% cheaper than domestically produced cement. The preparations to import it, including certification and the construction of storage warehouses, will take about two years.

Lithuania: Ignitis has signed a 4-year power purchase agreement with Lithuanian cement producer Akmenės Cementas to supply electricity from the Mažeikiai wind farm, starting in 2026. The wind farm features 14 wind turbines with a capacity of 63MW and began operations in 2023.

CEO of Akmenės Cementas Artūras Zaremba said "We are excited about this partnership as it allows us to use green energy in the cement industry. This cooperation is an important step towards our commitment to achieve long-term sustainability and reduce our carbon footprint. By integrating renewable energy sources into our activities and planned projects that will contribute to the EU’s Green Deal objectives, we are strengthening our environmental efforts and creating sustainable and innovative solutions.