Vietnam: Vietnamese cement producers manufactured 61.4Mt of cement in the first half of 2023. This corresponds to a year-on-year rise of 2.7% from levels reported by Global Cement one year ago of 59.8Mt during the first half of 2022. Việt Nam News has reported that full-year production was 116Mt in 2022, up by 5.8% year-on-year from full-year 2021 levels.

Malaysia: Cahya Mata Sarawak subsidiary CMS Cement has secured board approval to build a new 1.9Mt/yr clinker line at its Kuching cement plant at Jalan Mambong. This will more than triple its clinker capacity to 2.8Mt/yr. The Star newspaper has reported that construction will continue for 36 months from the date of groundbreaking. CMS Cement expects to invest US$161m in the project.

The Kuching cement plant is reportedly operating at 55% utilisation of its 2.75Mt/yr cement capacity. It currently relies on 40% of its own clinker to produce cement, with 60% of clinker imported. It aims to achieve clinker self-sufficiency to better serve growing markets in Sarawak and elsewhere, including Malaysia’s upcoming new capital city, Nusantara, on the opposite side of Borneo.

Mozambique/South Africa: China-based Huaxin Cement has agreed to buy the Africa-based business of InterCement for US$265m. The deal includes the Brazil-based company’s assets in Mozambique and South Africa. It follows InterCement’s sale of its business in Egypt earlier in 2023 to an unnamed buyer. The company will use the latest proposed sale to reduce its debts. The transaction will be subject to approval from regulators in China, Mozambique and South Africa. InterCement appointed JP Morgan as its financial advisor to the sale of its operations in Egypt, Mozambique and South Africa.

InterCement operates two integrated cement plants and three grinding plants in Mozambique under its Cimentos de Moçambique subsidiary and one integrated plant and two grinding plants in South Africa under its Natal Portland Cement subsidiary. Huaxin Cement’s operations in Africa include subsidiaries in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia.

Canada: Heidelberg Materials North America has appointed engineering firm WSP to carry out design, engineering and implementation of a planned 1Mt/yr carbon capture installation at its Edmonton cement plant in Alberta. Construction will begin in late 2024 and reach completion in late 2027. Through the project, Heidelberg Materials North America aims to realise net zero CO₂ cement production at the 1.4Mt/yr Edmonton plant.

Heidelberg Materials’ vice president of cement Joerg Nixdorf said "WSP’s proven track record of delivering high-quality and sustainable engineering solutions aligns perfectly with our vision of driving decarbonisation in the cement industry. Together, we will push the boundaries of what's possible and create a truly transformative project."