Displaying items by tag: Asia

India: Dalmia Cement (Bharat) will procure 10MW of solar power from Kilavikulam Rajalakshmi’s captive plant in Tamil Nadu. The producer will also acquire a 35% equity share in the solar power developer.

Kilavikulam Rajalakshmi is a special purpose vehicle for the 10MW solar project. Dalmia Cement said the acquisition will increase its renewable power supply as part of its commitment to RE100 by 2030 and becoming carbon negative by 2040.

North Korea: The Sangwon Cement Complex has appealed to smaller cement plants to boost production for major government projects, despite a lack of raw materials and electricity, according to Radio Free Asia.

The ‘vaguely written’ appeal, issued in early February 2025, states the urgent need for cement to complete government housing projects and rural development initiatives, but does not specify how production should increase. One of the projects listed is the Pyongyang housing project, which aims to build 10,000 new homes per year, and a total of 50,000 by the end of 2025.

A resident said “The Sangwon Cement Complex is affiliated with the central committee. Its electricity and raw materials are fully provided by the central party. How can the appeal demand increased cement production from local cement companies when there is no electricity or limestone?”

Another resident noted that most construction is being carried out by military labour units but cement shortages are forcing builders to cut corners, with most rural houses reportedly built from soil mixed with clay, lime, and decomposed granite. Though the appeal came from the Sangwon Cement Complex, residents see it as an implicit order from Kim Jong-un’s government. In the past, citizens were forced to gather sand and gravel for public projects, and some fear this order could have the same effect.

Philippines: Taiheiyo Cement Philippines has informed the government of its plans to improve its distribution system in Luzon, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.

The company has doubled the capacity of its US$224m Cebu facility from 50,000 bags/day to 100,000 bags/day. Additionally, it is constructing a distribution terminal in Calaca, Batangas, to better serve Luzon, which accounts for 64% of national cement demand.

"Once operational, this new facility will streamline logistics, optimise supply chain efficiency and ensure timely delivery of cement to this critical region," the DTI said.

Uzbekistan: The country's cement companies produced 0.85Mt of cement in January 2025, according to the national Statistics Agency. Cement production increased by 35% year-on-year. In 2023, Uzbekistan produced 0.26Mt and in 2024 it produced 0.63Mt.

Vietnam: Cement production reached 22.7Mt in the first two months of 2025, up by 7% year-on-year, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). In February 2025, the country produced 11.3Mt of cement, marking a 24% increase compared to the same month in 2024.

In 2024, Vietnam produced 184Mt of cement, reflecting a 4% rise year-on-year based on revised figures.

India: Mahabal Cement has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a US$1.26bn investment at the Advantage Assam summit.

The investment will have several phases. The first phase will be the construction of an integrated cement plant in Assam's Dima Hasao district, followed by a ready-mix concrete plant, which will produce autoclaved aerated concrete blocks. More than 3000 jobs will reportedly be created through the investment.

India: UltraTech Cement has projected that India’s cement demand will surpass 640Mt by the 2030 financial year, driven by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7-8% between the 2024 and 2030 financial years.

According to industry research and estimates, cement demand for the financial year ending 31 March 2024 stood at 424Mt. The growth is expected to be supported by rising infrastructure development and construction activity across the country.

Pakistan: Total cement despatches in February 2025 reached 3.6Mt, marking a 10% increase from 3.27Mt in February 2024, according to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA).

Domestic cement sales rose by 7% year-on-year to 3.1Mt, compared to 2.9Mt in February 2024. However, growth remained below expectations following a 12% month-on-month increase in January 2025. Exports increased by 34%, rising to 0.53Mt from 0.4Mt in the same month last year. In the first eight months of the current financial year, total cement despatches, including domestic and exports, stood at 30.4Mt, a slight 0.45% decline from 30.6Mt in the previous year. Domestic despatches dropped by 6% year-on-year to 24.5Mt, while exports increased by 32% to 5.9Mt from 4.5Mt.

Philippines: The Surigao City government has expressed optimism that the planned reopening of Pacific Cement Corporation (Pacemco) will revitalise the local economy and create jobs. Pacemco ceased operations on 5 May 2014 due to financial and operational difficulties. According to the Philippines News Agency, it owed US$1.5m to the Surigao del Norte Electric Cooperative, therefore its power supply was cut. At the time, 343 workers were reportedly placed on forced leave after the company stopped operations.

The mayor of Surigao City, along with other officials, conducted an inspection of the facility and groundbreaking activities are scheduled later in March 2025.

Georgia: The government has raised the mineral extraction limit for Kartuli Cement, amending the company’s mining license under a decree issued on 28 February 2025. The revised limit now allows for the extraction of 718,415m³ of sand and gravel from the Lezhbadin mineral deposit in Khanji-Gazlo, Marneuli Municipality, until the license expires on 24 October 2025. In return for the additional 287,630m³ of extraction, Kartuli Cement paid US$151,000.

Kartuli Cement formerly operated as HeidelbergCement Georgia, and rebranded as 'Hunnewell Cement' in August 2024 following its acquisition by the Georgian Co-Investment Fund and Hunnewell Partners.