Displaying items by tag: Asia

India: UltraTech Cement recorded consolidated net sales of US$2.4bn in the first quarter of the 2026 financial year, up from US$2.09bn in the corresponding period of 2024. Profit before interest, depreciation and tax rose by 44% year-on-year to US$531m, while profit after tax grew by 49% year-on-year to US$257m.

Sales volumes rose by 10% to 36.8Mt following the acquisitions of The India Cements and the cement business of Kesoram Industries. The producer added 3.5Mt/yr of grey cement capacity and commissioned 12MW of waste heat recovery (WHR) during the quarter, raising total grey cement capacity to 192Mt/yr and WHR capacity to 363MW. Renewable energy now accounts for 39.5% of UltraTech’s energy mix.

Kyrgyzstan: Imports of Portland cement from China in June 2025 rose 378% year-on-year to 4000t, according to China’s General Administration of Customs. The rise follows a May 2025 delivery of 2000t, after 18 months of negligible or no imports.

India: JK Cement reported a strong performance for the first quarter of the 2026 financial year, with consolidated net profit up by 76% year-on-year to US$37.6m, from US$21.4m in the same quarter in 2025. Sales rose by 19% to US$388.4m, from US$325.3m. Operating profit also grew, with earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) up by 41% to US$79.7m, from US$56.3m.

The producer attributed the rise to volume growth in the grey cement segment and higher realisations in Central India and Bihar. It also recorded an 8% growth in white cement sales.

JK Cement said construction of its 4Mt/yr grey clinker unit at Panna is 76% complete. It is also developing 3Mt/yr of cement capacity across Panna, Hamirpur and Prayagraj—1Mt/yr at each site—with construction in advanced stages. A 3Mt/yr split grinding unit in Bihar is due for commissioning by December 2025. As of June 2025, the company spent US$165.6m on clinker and cement projects and US$32.9m on the Bihar unit.

It also completed the acquisition of a 60% stake in a cement and clinker unit in Jammu & Kashmir for US$17.4m in June 2025. The acquisition added 0.42Mt/yr of cement and 0.26Mt/yr of clinker capacity.

Japan: Cement producers used 21.9Mt of post-consumer materials and by-products in the 2024 financial year, down by 3% year-on-year, marking the third consecutive annual decline, according to the Japan Cement Association.

Coal ash and blast furnace slag, which together make up over 50% of the total, both declined, although post-consumer plastics increased for a fourth consecutive year.

Cement production, including clinker for export, also fell by 3% to 45.7Mt. The amount of byproducts used per tonne of cement dropped from 480kg in 2023 to 478kg, but remained above 400kg for the 21st year in a row.

Türkiye: Akros Çimento has submitted a new environmental impact assessment (EIA) application for a 2.5Mt/yr cement plant in Burcun Village, Yenişehir district, Bursa. The facility will reportedly produce CEM I, CEM II and CEM IV Type 2 SDC cements. A previous proposal to build a cement plant on the site was cancelled by court order in 2008.

The plant will be built on 466,000m² of forest land, with 71,000m² allocated for the plant. It will use coal and industrial waste as fuel and draw water from underground sources.

Its proximity to Gemlik Port, 30km away, will support exports, with remaining output serving nearby provinces including Bursa, Balıkesir, Yalova, İzmit and Istanbul.

However, Natural Life Conservation Society (DOĞADER) president Murat Demir is protesting the plant’s construction. He said to the Bursa Hakimiyet newspaper “They will most likely receive approval, because it's very easy to get an EIA in Turkey. If the approval decision is made, we will object.”

He added “Bursa has polluted water, polluted air and polluted soil. Laws and regulations are no longer based on protecting nature, but on exploiting it. We will be filing a lawsuit against this because it will create a polluting and destructive pressure on Bursa's natural structure, especially our forests, agricultural lands, and water resources.”

India: JSW Cement has launched CHD Waterguard, a water-repellent slag-based cement designed for the high-moisture conditions of southern India. The product uses ‘Turbo Gel’ Technology, which the company says ensures a polymer-enriched ‘hydration matrix’ for improved workability and compressive strength.

CEO Nilesh Narwekar said “The tropical climate of Southern India, with its intense humidity, coastal salt air and heavy monsoons, compromises the longevity of concrete structures. With CHD Waterguard, we’re offering a specialised solution that actively protects homes from seepage, dampness, salt corrosion and moisture-related damage.”

Fiji: Fijian Holdings subsidiary Pacific Cement (PCL) has resumed cement production following the completion of commissioning works on its repaired mill, according to the Fiji Times. Fijian Holdings deputy chair Sakiusa Raivoce said supply of bulk and bagged cement had normalised.

Production had halted in March 2025 due to a mill breakdown. Raivoce said PCL is now fast-tracking an upgrade of the existing mill to reduce future risks and improve reliability. Persistent failures in recent years had resulted in a reliance on cement imports to satisfy local demand.

Philippines: Taiheiyo Cement Philippines (TCPI) has said it is on track to open its US$64.9m cement terminal in Calaca, Batangas by early 2026. The facility will produce 0.7Mt/yr of blended cement, increasing the company’s total capacity to 4Mt/yr.

The new terminal forms part of the company’s multi-phase investment programme. TCPI plans to expand its production capacity to 5Mt/yr by 2030, while securing a 10% market share. The Department of Trade and Industry confirmed in a statement that manufacturing will begin in the second quarter of 2026.

Australia: Boral’s Berrima Cement Works celebrated a milestone of using more than 100,000t of alternative fuels in cement manufacturing at its facility during the 2025 financial year, according to a post by the producer on Linkedin. The facility displaced over 80,000t of coal. The fuels included high-biomass waste and tyres, which were diverted from landfill.

Boral said that it has achieved over 30% thermal energy substitution in the plant’s kiln, with successful trials reaching 45%. With recent upgrades such as the chlorine bypass and further infrastructure investment, the company targets 60% substitution in coming years.

China: National cement production fell by 4% year-on-year to 815Mt in the first half of 2025, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Output in June 2025 declined by 5% year-on-year to 155Mt. Production for the first half of 2024 stood at 850Mt, indicating a volume decrease of 35Mt. Looking forward to the third quarter of 2025, the industry expects that the cement market will continue to operate weakly, with sluggish demand ad low prices across the country.