Displaying items by tag: Production

Vietnam: Cement production reached 137Mt in the first nine months of 2025, marking a 15% year-on-year increase, according to data from the National Statistics Office (NSO).

In September 2025, output totalled 16.2Mt, up by 28% compared to the same month in 2024. The NSO’s revised figures show that Vietnam produced 184Mt of cement in 2024, a 3.5% increase year-on-year.

Malawi: Huaxin Cement successfully ignited its new 2000t/day clinker production line on 28 September 2025, marking the official start of trial production, according to a post on Linkedin by the producer. Once fully commissioned, the plant will add 0.8Mt/yr to the company’s cement capacity. The project reportedly incorporates energy-efficient equipment, low-carbon calcination technology and a full-process DCS automated control system, creating a closed loop from raw material crushing to packaging. The facility will generate 500 direct jobs, with 90% allocated to local workers.

Construction began on 28 October 2024 and was completed in just 11 months. The company said close coordination between the plant and EPC teams helped overcome multiple challenges to deliver the project.

China: Data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China shows a 5% year-on-year decline in cement production in the first eight months of 2025, to 1.11Bnt. Production was 148Mt in August 2025, down by 6% year-on-year but up by 1% month-on-month. In the previous month, July 2025, the country produced its lowest monthly volume of cement since 2009, at 146Mt. Market research agency S&P Global has reported that the decline was due to reduced domestic demand, precipitated by a prolonged real estate sector downturn and sluggish infrastructure investment.

A representative of a local cement retail company reportedly said "We expect a similar trend in 2026, with full-year cement production likely declining by another 5 – 8% year-on-year."

North Korea: State-controlled media has reported that the Sangwon Cement Complex has carried out its third quarterly national economic plan according to schedule. It said that the complex took measures to operate equipment at full capacity and ‘conducted the operation and command in a meticulous way.’ It reportedly increased production by 108% compared to the third quarter of 2024.

US: Total shipments of Portland and blended cement, including imports, were an estimated 9.16Mt in June 2025, a 2% decrease from 9.40Mt in June 2024, according to the latest US Geological Survey data. Shipments for the first six months of 2025 reached 47.0Mt, down by 5.3% year-on-year. The leading cement-consuming states were, in descending order, Texas, California, Florida, Ohio, and Illinois, which together accounted for 38% of total shipments in June 2025.

Clinker production, excluding Puerto Rico, was estimated at 6.29Mt in June 2025, down by 2% from 6.40Mt in the same month of 2024. For the first half of 2025, clinker output reached 30.8Mt, an 8% decline from 33.6Mt in the same period of 2024. Cement and clinker imports, including those through the San Juan customs district in Puerto Rico, totalled 2.61Mt in June 2025, an 11% increase compared with June 2024. Imports for the year to June 2025 reached 12.4Mt.

India: JK Lakshmi Cement has increased its cement production capacity from 16.5Mt/yr to 18Mt/yr following the commissioning of a new grinding unit in Surat and de-bottlenecking of cement mills at Jaykaypuram and Sirohi. According to the company’s filing, the Surat grinding unit adds 1.35Mt/yr.

Zimbabwe: Construction of the Chegutu cement plant by Chinese investor Shuntal Investment has reportedly reached the halfway stage, with production scheduled to begin in early 2026, according to the government-owned newspaper The Sunday Mail. The plant will produce 800,000t/yr of cement and is the second cement plant under development in Mashonaland West, alongside WIH-Zim’s Magunje plant, also set to open in 2026.

Shuntal Investment general manager Zhou Bin said the project is on schedule. “The entire project is expected to be completed before the onset of the 2025/2026 rainy season. This timing is deliberate so that production will not be disrupted during the critical rainy months,” he said  

He added that the plant will adopt modern technology, including a pipe spray cooling system, bag-type dust removers reportedly capable of reducing 99% of dust emissions, and fully enclosed, spill-proof production lines. Raw materials will be sourced from the nearby Lambourne quarry site, reducing Zimbabwe’s dependence on imports. Around 200 local workers are currently employed, building staff housing, storage facilities, warehouses and plant infrastructure.

Ropafadzo Chafesuka, a female truck driver at the site, said 'There are several female workers here, and this has empowered us. We are certain that once the plant starts production, more women will be employed, reducing early marriages and helping fight drug and substance abuse.”

Local press in Zimbabwe previously reported in August 2025 that Shuntai Holdings was in a legal battle with a local school over the construction of the plant 497m from the school’s boundary. Construction has reportedly continued despite a High Court judge ordering construction to cease.

Cameroon: The Central Africa Cement (CAC) plant in Koukoue, Edéa district, was inaugurated on 19 September 2025, in a ceremony chaired by Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development Fuh Calixtus. The event was also attended by the Minister of Transport and local leaders. The US$21m project has a production capacity of 1Mt/yr, and will use local resources such as limestone and pozzolan, while importing clinker. Cement output will serve both domestic demand and export markets, according to Afrik Info.

The new facility will reportedly create 121 direct jobs and boost local supply with affordable cement. It also reinforces Cameroon’s position as a cement hub in Central Africa and aligns with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), which aim to increase competitiveness in international trade.

Nigeria/Botswana: Nigeria-based producer Dangote Cement has announced plans to expand into Botswana with a new plant, which would increase its presence on the continent to 12 countries. The plan was disclosed by Emmanuel Ikazoboh, newly appointed chair of Dangote Cement, during a presentation at the Nigerian Exchange Group.

“We are fully aware of the challenges in South Africa, which is why we’re opening a plant in Botswana, geographically close to the market,” Ikazoboh said. “South Africa currently imports cement, and while we have urged the government to curb imports, progress has been slow.”

According to the company, the Botswana blending plant will help boost production and improve profitability, with Dangote Cement targeting 66.4Mt/yr across all of its operations by 2030, a 28% increase from its current capacity of 52Mt/yr.

Guatemala: Ultracem Guatemala has launched a new 45.2 grade of bagged cement, which it says is the strongest structural cement on the national market. It is designed for projects that demand maximum performance, safety, and technical support. The new product meets the highest international standards, including ASTM and COGUANOR 41095, and is the result of a strategic investment in technology and local development. The launch of the new product coincides with the first anniversary of the company’s production plant in Guatemala, which was inaugurated in 2024.