Bangladesh: Bashundhara Group has taken a loan of US$82.0, which it says will go towards the construction of a 4.0Mt/yr cement plant in eastern Bangladesh for a total investment of US$117m. The Daily Star newspaper has reported that the new plant will produce cement primarily for export to northeast India. Bashundhara Group’s two cement plants currently have the capacity to produce 5.1Mt/yr of its King Brand cement.

Bank Asia is the lead arranger for the syndicated loan, which it will provide along with Dhaka Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Pubali Bank, Social Islami Bank and United Commercial Bank. Full repayment is due in 2027.

Kyrgyzstan: Aravan Cement Plant, part of the Southern Combine of Building Materials, is considering building a third production line with a capacity of 1.5Mt/yr. Plant director Kubanychbek Turdubaev made the announcement to Kyrgyzstan Newsline in a discussion reflecting on the completion of the unit’s second line in 2018, which increased total capacity to 1Mt/yr. The Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund (RKDF) provided a loan for that project and the company intends to continue the relationship for the next one. China-based Tianjin Cement Industry Design and Research Institute (Sinoma TCDRI) and the Nanjing Long-W Energy Conservation Engineering were also involved. At present the plant sells half of its cement domestically and exports the rest.

Mexico: Elementia has announced the commissioning of a new 0.25Mt/yr grinding plant in Progreso, Yucatán State. The group says that the plant cost US$25m. Chief executive officer (CEO) Jaime Rocha Font said “Through this project, Elementia aims to participate in the growth of the Yucatán Peninsula and Southern Mexico.”

Egypt: Egyptian Cement Group’s chief executive officer (CEO) Ahmed Abou Hashima says that the company plans to inaugurate its new cement factory in 2021. The plant is located in Sohag and has a total investment cost of US$285m, according to the Hapi Journal. The 2Mt/yr project was originally scheduled to open in the first half of 2020 but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.