Egypt: Abu Dhabi Ports Group subsidiary Transcargo International (TCI) is building a bulk cement terminal at Arish port in North Sinai Governorate. The company says that the facility will be equipped with six 10,000t cement silos. Four silos will store up to 40,000t of grey cement, while two will store up to 20,000t/yr of white cement. Cementir Holding subsidiary Sinai White Portland Cement has signed a cooperation agreement with TCI to use the Arish cement terminal. TCI says that the terminal will serve multiple markets worldwide and help Sinai White Portland Cement to raise its total expor ..read more

India: UltraTech Cement has concluded an agreement to acquire Kesoram Cement from Kesoram Industries for US$912m. The Times of India newspaper has reported that the price includes an equity value of US$646m and debt of US$267m. As part of the deal, Kesoram Industries shareholders will gain single shares in UltraTech Cement for every 52 shares they hold in Kesoram Industries. Kesoram Cement operates two cement plants – the 10.8Mt/yr Vasavadatta plant in Karnataka and the 660,000t/yr Kesoram cement plant in Telangana – and a packing plant in Maharashtra. Kesoram Industries says that the sale o ..read more

Pakistan: Fauji Cement inaugurated its Shadan Lund cement plant in Dera Ghazi Khan on 30 November 2023. The Pakistan Observer newspaper has reported that the plant has a capacity of 2.37Mt/yr and brings Fauji Cement’s capacity to 10.6Mt/yr ..read more

Brazil: France-based Saint-Gobain has completed the construction of a new line at its Recife fibre cement products plant in Pernambuco. The expansion doubles the capacity of the plant to 200,000t/yr, at a cost of US$13.9m. The plant produces fibre cement products for sale under Saint-Gobain’s Brasilit brand ..read more

Spain: Cemex’s venture capital unit Cemex Ventures announced the launch of its second LeapLab accelerator programme for high-potential start-ups on 30 November 2023. The programme introduces a cohort of five start-ups from around the globe, which will carry out pilot-scale tests of their technologies across 100 Cemex sites in 12 different countries. Throughout the process, experts from Cemex and partner organisations will support the work of the start-ups as mentors, pilot leaders, speakers and assistants, as well as providing business advice and support in network building. The selected sta ..read more

Australia: Western Australia’s environment minister Reece Whitby has questioned the efficacy of tests submitted by Cockburn Cement in relation to its Munster lime plant in May 2023. The tests showed successes in odour reduction during sand feeding at the plant’s Kiln 6. Business News Western Australia has reported that the government and an independent expert have raised ‘areas of concern’ as to whether the trial represents normal operating conditions for the kiln. David Scaife, who represents Cockburn District in the Western Australia Legislative Assembly, said "My gripe is not with the wor ..read more

Philippines: Holcim Philippines recorded sales of US$332m during the first nine months of 2023. This represents a 4% drop from nine-month 2022 levels. The producer reported operating earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) of US$25.2m. Throughout the period, Holcim Philippines co-processed 800,000t of alternative fuel (AF) at its plants. Blended cement products ended September 2023 at 75% of its cement sales ..read more

UAE: Emirates Steel Arkan (ESA) has appointed consultancy A³&Co. to help plan and implement decarbonisation initiatives at its 5.7Mt/yr Al Ain cement plant in Abu Dhabi. The collaboration will focus on reducing CO2 emissions and costs, in line with the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)’s 1.5° Pathway for Net Zero and in conformity to the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). ESA is committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 40% between 2018 and 2030, and to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 ..read more

India: UltraTech Cement has bought the 540,000t/yr Patratu grinding plant from Burnpur Cement for US$20.4m. The Hindu Business Line newspaper has reported that the purchase brings UltraTech Cement’s installed cement capacity to 133Mt/yr ..read more

Bolivia: The Bolivian Attorney General’s Office says that is open to meeting representatives of Sociedad Boliviana de Cemento (SOBOCE) in order to negotiate a ‘better arrangement’ following Bolivia’s nationalisation of a stake in SOBOCE subsidiary Fábrica Nacional de Cementos (FANCESA) by supreme decree in 2010. SOBOCE owes FANCESA US$108m in damages for unfair competition since that time. SOBOCE said "SOBOCE, together with its shareholders of Grupo Gloria del Peru, will continue to resort to judicial and/or arbitration channels (national or international) for the recognition of their rights ..read more