India: Heidelberg Cement India has signed a contract to establish a cement plant at the Sant Singaji thermal power plant in Dogalia, Madhya Pradesh. The company will receive around 7ha of land for the project. The plant will produce between 150,000-200,000t/yr of cement using sludge generated from coal-fired power production, previously stored in dams. Construction is set to begin by the end of 2025 and is expected to complete in around 18 months.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Cimenterie Kongo (CIMKO) plans to invest over US$300m to expand its cement production capacity from 1.4Mt/yr to 3Mt/yr by 2027. The joint venture between the Rawji Group and Lucky Cement has operated a plant in Songololo, Kongo-Central province since 2018. The investment responds to growing demand from public and private construction and aims to reduce imports and stabilise prices. According to the Central Bank of the Congo, cement consumption reached 2.55Mt in 2023, while local production totalled 2.3Mt, with the shortfall covered by imports.

Other producers are also expanding. China-based WIH Cement plans to raise its capacity to 2.2Mt/yr by 2027, while the Chinese consortium Avic-Conch has partnered with the Congolese government to restart the National Cement plant in Kimpese, Kongo-Central.

The government banned grey cement and clinker imports in the southeast and southwest in July 2024 to support the domestic industry. However, in October 2025, Foreign Trade Minister Julien Paluku ordered an investigation into illegal imports from Nigeria’s Dangote Cement that were reportedly still entering the country due to rising prices of local cement.

Malawi: Huaxin Building Materials Group and its subsidiary Portland Cement Malawi have commissioned a US$100m integrated cement plant in Balaka, 215km south of the capital Lilongwe. The factory is expected to produce 800,000t/yr of cement and reduce Malawi’s dependence on imported clinker and cement. Minister of Finance Joseph Mwanamvekha, who attended the inauguration ceremony, said the project aligns with the Malawi 2063 Agenda by supporting infrastructure and economic resilience.

Chinese Ambassador to Malawi Lu Xu said “The plant helps to address the current challenges by saving US$50m in foreign exchange expenditure annually, and generate US$15m in foreign exchange income.” She added that it is the largest manufacturing investment by a Chinese firm in Malawi and will create jobs, boost economic output and strengthen local industrial chains.

Italy: Cementeria Costantinopoli has placed an order with Vestas for a 10MW wind project to supply renewable energy directly to its cement plant in Basilicata. The on-site wind farm will cover around one third of the plant’s electricity needs. The project includes three V117-3.45MW turbines and a 10-year Active Output Management 4000 service agreement. Turbine delivery and commissioning are scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.

Vestas Italy general manager Francesco Amati said “This project marks a milestone for Vestas in Italy as it is the first of its kind in the country to exclusively power an energy-intensive cement plant with clean wind energy. We are proud to deliver the technology solution that will reduce the plant’s environmental footprint and reliance on external power.”