Egypt: Sky Ports Group has announced the start of construction of a bulk cement export terminal within its multi-purpose facility at Port Said, with a total investment of US$50m. The project is reportedly intended to boost cement exports and open access to new international markets, according to local press.

Tarek Hussein, chair of Sky Ports Group, said the feasibility study took nearly two years due to market challenges linked to a lack of internationally compliant bulk cement storage silos. This shortage has previously limited Egypt’s export capacity despite surplus domestic production. Hussein said the project aligns with the government’s strategy to increase exports of finished products and improve the competitiveness of Egyptian goods overseas. He added that strict import requirements in markets such as the US had constrained Egyptian bulk cement exports, and that the new terminal would remove these barriers.

The terminal will feature eight concrete silos, each with a capacity of 20,000t, giving total storage of 160,000t. It will have a handling capacity of 20,000t/day and a rate of 1000t/hr, allowing it to serve Panamax-class vessels. The project is being implemented through international partnerships with Spain, Germany and Denmark. Technical systems are reportedly being prepared in Denmark and Spain, with operations scheduled to commence in January 2026. The remaining silos will be delivered consecutively, two every four months, reaching full capacity by the end of 2027.

Once fully operational, the terminal is expected to increase Egypt’s cement export capacity to 4 - 6Mt/yr, while opening markets that previously could not receive Egyptian cement.

Afghanistan: Murat Dikmen, the Turkish consul general based in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, has announced plans for the construction of a cement plant in northern Jowzjan province with an investment of more than US$150m. According to the governor’s office, Dikmen made the announcement during a meeting with Mawlawi Abdullah Sarhadi, the recently appointed governor of Jawzjan. The discussions focused on ongoing cooperation and Türkiye’s development programmes in the province. Dikmen said the proposed cement plant would involve an investment in the range of US$150m-200m and is expected to create employment opportunities for ‘hundreds of people’ once implemented.

The Turkish construction company 77 Inşaat previously signed a contract with The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum in Afghanistan in October 2024, worth approximately US$163m.

Australia: 20Mt of fly ash from the disused Port Augusta power station will be converted into low-carbon cement under the ‘Green Cement Transformation Project’, backed by a US$8m concessional loan from the South Australian government. Peter Malinauskas, premier of South Australia, said the project would create around 150 jobs during construction and approximately 50 ongoing roles once operational. Construction is expected to begin by the end of 2026, according to ABC news.

Malinauskas said "[Hallett] has developed an outstanding new technology that is literally a game changer when it comes to cement production in Australia … which, in effect, doubles the production capacity of the whole state when it comes to cement production. [This] will take 20Mt of leftover fly ash from the Port Augusta power station and turn it into ‘green’ cement, with effectively a 60% carbon reduction on cement we would otherwise normally see." Malinauskas added that the project would address the ‘genuine shortage’ of cement and concrete throughout the state.

Two infrastructure hubs will be built at Port Augusta and Port Adelaide. These facilities will enable waste byproducts from the former Northern Power Station fly ash dam and the Nyrstar Port Pirie smelter to be repurposed into low-carbon cement products.

India: Bihar’s Industries Department has approved a 50% expansion of production capacity at Rohtas Cement, a unit of Dalmia Cement (Bharat), located in Banjari, Rohtas district in western Bihar. Under the Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Rules, the plant has been permitted to increase its capacity by 0.5Mt/yr, from 1Mt/yr to 1.5Mt/yr. A private capital investment of US$1.19bn has reportedly been approved for the expansion. The expansion of the unit is expected to support industrial investment in the state and create 594 direct jobs, according to The Hindustan Times.