Displaying items by tag: Asia

Myanmar: Authorities are working to expedite the reopening of cement plants in Kyaukse, Mandalay Region, following the earthquake in late March 2025, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. Kyaukse District administrator U Kaung Myat Naing said that one plant expects to resume supplying 100,000 bags of cement per day by mid-May 2025. The reopening of cement plants will help to meet the growing demand in the country.

India: UltraTech Cement reported consolidated net sales of US$2.67bn in the fourth quarter of the 2025 financial year, up from US$2.35bn year-on-year. Profit before interest, depreciation and tax rose to US$554m from US$498m, while profit after tax grew to US$291m from US$265m.

Consolidated sales volumes reached 41Mt for the quarter, growing by 17% year-to-year. Capacity utilisation was 89% during the quarter and 78% for the full year. UltraTech commissioned 17.4Mt/yr of capacity during the period, raising its domestic grey cement capacity to 183Mt/yr and its global capacity to 188.76Mt/yr.

The company achieved 1GW of renewable power installations, which it says makes it the first industrial company in India to commission 1GW of renewable capacity for captive use. It added 269MW of renewable power during the quarter, bringing its total renewable energy capacity to 1.363GW, including waste heat recovery systems. This covers 46% of Ultratech’s current power needs.

Malaysia: The state government of Sabah has dismissed concerns over illegal logging, investor withdrawal and environmental risks related to the US$277m Tongod cement plant project.

Masiung Banah of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly said "There is no logging taking place. The quarry spans 200 acres [80.9 hectares], not thousands as claimed. The project has undergone thorough environmental assessments, including an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), to ensure compliance with regulations."

Masiung, also chair of Borneo Cement, said that the project is proceeding as planned and that site clearing had already begun, following the approval of the EIA, according to the Daily Express newspaper. He added that the 5000t/day plant in Kampung Kayawoi will address Sabah’s cement shortage, reduce prices through local sourcing and create up to 1000 jobs for local people, as well as improving roads, electricity and water supply in the region. The Sabah Energy Commission has reportedly agreed to supply 40% of the plant’s required electricity and a 26km access road will be built to transport materials.

Fiji: The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) has assured the public that there should be no shortage of cement despite the temporary suspension of operations at Pacific Cement. CEO Senikavika Jiuta said FCCC is working closely with suppliers and monitoring the supply chain to prevent unfair practices.

Pacific Cement suspended operations on 21 March 2025 after its mill sustained mechanical damage. Repairs are underway and expected to finish by 27 May 2025. FCCC engaged with both Pacific Cement and Tengy Cement to conduct a market study, concluding that Tengy Cement’s increased production at its Suva and Lautoka plants will meet demand until Pacific Cement resumes full operations.

Cambodia: The Cambodian government has approved the construction of a new cement plant on a 99-hectare site inside Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, awarded in January 2025 to KP Cement. This decision comes despite a 2023 moratorium on new mining licences in Prey Lang to protect the forest and local ecosystem. Local newspaper Mongabay previously conducted an investigation into KP Cement, allegedly uncovering rampant deforestation at the company’s mine where limestone and marble are being excavated. It reports that documents published in the March 2025 edition of Cambodia’s Royal Gazette, which lists new laws and government announcements, show that a 50-year lease on a 99-hectare plot of land inside Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary was awarded to KP Cement on 13 January 2025.

The plant will source limestone from a nearby mine less than 1km away. Coal for the operation will be imported via Sihanoukville port and transported over 440km to the site. Local communities have expressed alarm over environmental degradation, health risks from limestone dust and being excluded from decision-making.

China: The China Building Materials Federation, Conch Group and Huawei have partnered to showcase their AI model for the cement industry. Conch Group and Huawei began constructing the model in April 2024 with federation support. Since then, they have identified over 200 AI application scenarios across 15 categories spanning the entire production process, from mining to shipment. The model can reportedly predict the strength of clinker with an 85% accuracy rate and can allow for a reduction in coal consumption.

Nepal: Udayapur Cement Industry resumed operations on 24 April 2025, despite ongoing legal disputes and internal administrative obstructions, according to acting general manager Mahesh Sah. The plant ceased all activities in late November 2024. It began kiln firing at 10:40am local time and expected clinker production to begin after eight hours of machine operation.

The plant aims to produce approximately 400t/day of clinker. Coal and dinepalesel stocks are expected to last 12 days. Sah noted that coordination has been made with the Nepal Electricity Authority, which has assured uninterrupted power supply despite outstanding dues. Udayapur Cement, a fully state-owned enterprise, has a daily production capacity of 800t/day.

Pakistan: The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) has appealed to the Competition Appellate Tribunal to annul a US$22.6m penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) over alleged collusion and price fixing.

APCMA’s counsel argued that the sector operates competitively with price variation, and that the CCP failed to properly analyse the industry geography. He said a 2003 quota-sharing agreement had expired before the CCP ruling and challenged office raids as unfounded.

The tribunal has adjourned the case to 22 May 2025, when defence lawyers will present arguments. The CCP previously fined the APCMA and its member companies in 2009 after alleging market collusion.

Indonesia: PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa (INTP) recorded a 6% year-on-year drop in cement sales to 3.9Mt in the year to 31 March 2025, according to local press. INTP corporate secretary Dani Handajani said that the beginning of the year was typically a low-demand period due to weather, Ramadan and Eid holidays, but noted that the company's sales decline was smaller than the national industry’s 8% fall. Good news also came from the development of the new capital city Nusantara, which is back on track after being delayed. The project is expected to boost cement demand in Kalimantan.

Handajani warned that Indonesia’s cement oversupply problem will likely continue in 2025, and requires government policies like a ban on imports and the construction of new plants in the country.

India: ICRA expects cement volumes to grow by 6-7% in the 2026 financial year, following a 6% rise in 2025, driven by housing and infrastructure demand. Capacity additions are forecast to increase to 43-45Mt/yr from 32-35Mt/yr in 2025. Eastern and northern regions will lead the expansion, with 22–24Mt/yr of new grinding capacity.

The assistant vice president of corporate ratings, Abhishek Lahoti, added “The southern region, despite an oversupply of capacity, is experiencing significant capacity additions by large cement companies as it is operating at optimal utilisation levels and intends to maintain its market share in the near term. Overall, the industry’s capacity utilisation is likely to remain stable at 70% in the 2026 financial year, similar to the previous financial year, on an expanded base.”