Indonesia: The Indonesia government says that it will ask for compensation if the Philippines Tariff Commission extends tariffs on cement. The Manila Bulletin newspaper has reported that the government suggested that the fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member state should take more targeted measures against any country responsible for cement dumping, in line with the bloc’s rules.

In 2019 – 2021, Indonesia exported 532,000t of cement to the Philippines, constituting 2.7% of the country’s cement imports. Vietnam, meanwhile, exported 15.8Mt (80%).

India: UltraTech Cement has entered into a collaboration with Finland-based Coolbrook to implement the latter’s roto dynamic heater (RDH) electric kiln technology in Indian cement plants. RDH technology uses renewable power to heat kilns to up to 1700°C.

UltraTech Cement managing director Kailash Jhanwar said “UltraTech is a forerunner in utilising renewable energy in its manufacturing operations. We are constantly looking at opportunities to improve process efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our operations.” Jhanwar concluded “We believe that our collaboration with Coolbrook will help to further accelerate the decarbonisation of our operations.”

Coolbrook executive chair Ilpo Kuokkanen said “India is one of the most important potential markets for Coolbrook, as we want to make a global impact on CO₂ emission reductions. Cooperation with India’s largest cement producer UltraTech is a significant step in our strategy to decarbonise heavy industry processes globally. UltraTech is also an excellent addition to our comprehensive and responsive partnership ecosystem spanning across leading industrial actors, academic institutions, and the public sector.”

US: Prometheus Materials has successfully developed cement-free blocks from a material produced by biomineralising cyanobacteria. Dezeen News has reported that the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has approved the materials for construction applications.

Director Wil V Srubar III said "Coral reefs, shells and even the limestone we use to produce cement today show us that nature has already figured out how to bind minerals together in a strong, clever and efficient way. By working with nature to use existing microalgae to bind minerals and other materials together to create new types of sustainable biocomposite building materials, we can eliminate most, if not all, of the carbon emissions associated with traditional concrete-based building materials."

India: Ramco Cements plans to make capital expenditure (CAPEX) investments of US$154 – 167m in the 2023 and 2024 financial years. At the beginning of the 2023 financial year on 1 April 2022, Ramco Cements’ net debt was US$489m. It plans to pay back US$64.3m during the current financial year, with the ultimate aim of becoming net debt-free before the 2026 financial year.