Displaying items by tag: Asia

Australia: Hallett Group has successfully tested a trial of cement despatch at its Port Adelaide Terminal. During a trial, trucks drove through the unit’s storage dome and tested cement despatch into internal cement silos. The cement terminal is intended to distribute cement from Hallett Group's Port Augusta slag cement grinding plant in the north of South Australia state.

Pakistan: Maple Leaf Cement has launched a public offer to buy shares representing up to 11.7% in Pioneer Cement. The action is intended to be part of a process that gives it control of the target company. Maple Leaf Cement currently has a combined shareholding of 18.53% in Pioneer Cement, via its direct shares, those of a subsidiary and through one of its directors. It is currently in the process of acquiring 69.75% of the shares in Pioneer Cement from a group of major shareholders, most notably including Vision Holdings Middle East. Once completed, the combined local market share of the two cement companies is expected to be 15.5%. It should become the third largest cement producer in the country.

Papua New Guinea: Pacific Lime and Cement (PLC) has agreed a strategic partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to provide advisory support for PLC’s Phase 2 Central Cement Project in Central Province, Papua New Guinea. The project will be PNG’s first vertically integrated clinker and cement production facility, aimed at substituting imports and meeting domestic demand. IFC’s participation brings technical expertise and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards to the project, aligning it with international best practices and helping to de-risk the path toward full financing and construction. As part of the advisory scope, IFC will assess the project’s existing Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and recommend improvements to help PLC move toward compliance with IFC Performance Standards, a requirement for international finance.

India: Wonder Cement has ordered roller mills from Germany-based Gebr. Pfeiffer for use at the cement producer’s new plant in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

An MVR 6000 R-6 mill will be used for raw meal. It will reportedly be one of the largest raw mills in the country. It will have a mill drive power of 6725kW and a capacity of 1000t/hr. It will include an integrated SLS 6000 VR high-performance classifier to meet a product fineness of 2% residue on a 212µm screen.

A MPS 3550 BK vertical roller mill will be used for coal grinding. It will be equipped with a mill drive of 1840kW and a capacity of 65t/hr petcoke or 100t/hr coal.

The project is being carried out in close cooperation between Gebr. Pfeiffer’s subsidiary in India and the company in Germany. The order will include Gebr. Pfeiffer’s 15^th mill for Wonder Cement. Installation of the new mills is planned by the end of 2026.

Malaysia: Cahya Mata Sarawak has broken ground on its US$165m Mambong Clinker Line 2 project, an investment aimed at expanding cement production capacity to meet Sarawak’s growing infrastructure and industrial demand. The new line will increase clinker output from 0.9Mt/yr to 1.9Mt/yr and is scheduled to begin operations in mid-2027.

Group managing director Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib said the project will ensure a stable supply of high-quality cement to support Sarawak’s long-term development. “This project not only strengthens our production capabilities, but more importantly guarantees a reliable supply of quality cement to support Sarawak’s fast-growing infrastructure and economy,” he said.

The plant will incorporate a waste heat recovery system capable of generating about 6MW of ‘electrical’ energy and will feature dust filtration systems to reduce emissions. Sarawak Premier Abang Johari said the expansion reduces reliance on imports.

India: Shree Cement has declared a lockout at its cement manufacturing facility in Baloda Bazar in the Raipur district of Chhattisgarh, with effect from 18 December 2025, citing ‘non-cooperation from workmen.’ In a stock exchange filing, the company said that management took the decision following disruptions to plant operations caused by the ongoing labour situation, and that it is ‘monitoring the matter.’ The lockout is expected to result in a production loss of around 10,000t/day of cement. Shree Cement said that the financial impact is still being assessed and that it is working to determine the total losses caused by the shutdown. All assets at the facility are insured, but the company did not specify a timeline for resolving the labour issue or for resuming operations.

The Baloda Bazar plant is one of Shree Cement's operational units in central India. The company has not confirmed whether supply commitments or despatches from other plants will be affected.

Pakistan: Fecto Cement has resumed full operations at its Sangjani cement plant in Islamabad following a ruling by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that deemed the previous suspension of activities ‘illegal and without lawful authority.’ The company confirmed the development in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, stating that full plant operations had resumed, and that production has recommenced as normal. Fecto Cement said that the suspension ‘had no material adverse effect’ on its long-term financial position or operations.

Türkiye: Cement exporter Medcem has secured contracts for 5.5Mt of cement and clinker for 2026, up from 4.8Mt in 2025, according to Platts, part of S&P Global Energy. The deals include 4Mt of bulk cement and 1Mt of bagged cement for the US market. Medcem also signed clinker contracts totalling 1.5Mt, including 0.5Mt of low-chromium clinker for Europe and standard clinker for other markets such as West Africa.

“Compared to 2025, our prices and volumes are higher for 2026, unlike other exporting countries who’ve had to maintain their prices or give a discount,” said Medcem's Trading and Shipping Director Ender Sahin. He added that, to support growing demand, Medcem is expanding its grinding capacity by nearly 1Mt/yr by 2027, increasing its total capacity from 7.5Mt/yr to 9Mt/yr.

Taiwan: Taiwan Cement has voiced support for government efforts to reduce the country’s growing reliance on imported cement, warning that the trend could undermine domestic producers and jobs.

The remarks come after locally-owned Universal Cement announced it would stop buying from Taiwan Cement and shift entirely to imported cement and clinker from elsewhere, including Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, to satisfy its demand of 1Mt/yr. Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming raised concerns over the rising imports, said that the imports raise concerns about carbon footprints and encouraged reducing reliance on imported cement. Taiwan Cement chair Chang An-ping said that the issue was not just environmental. “Taiwan risks becoming a dumping ground for surplus cement from foreign markets,” he said, which could affect domestic workers. He showed customs data that export prices to Taiwan are lower than domestic prices in exporting countries.

Chang criticised the lack of reciprocity in Taiwan’s zero-tariff policy on cement imports and said that the anti-dumping duties on Vietnamese cement introduced in July 2025 had failed to stop prices from falling. He also called for consistent carbon verification standards. While domestic producers follow a strict ‘gross emissions’ approach verified by third parties, Chang said many Southeast Asian exporters use ‘net emissions’ accounting, which subtracts emissions avoided through waste treatment. Minister Peng confirmed plans to align verification of imported cement with local rules.

India: Bengaluru Solid Waste Management (BSWML) has reported improved segregation of waste at source, resulting in a rise in the collection of low-value plastic waste, which can be used as refuse derived fuel (RDF). BSWML has signed a new agreement with Dalmia Cement to supply 200-250t/day of RDF to the company’s cement plant in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. On the first day of operations, 160t were despatched to the plant. Currently, the city of Bengaluru generates between 350-400t/day of RDF. Under the agreement, Dalmia Cement has committed to accept up to 1000t/day, which officials say will significantly reduce pressure on the city’s landfills.