Displaying items by tag: Capacity

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.

US: Furno Materials has signed an agreement with ready-mix concrete producer Maschmeyer Concrete for the use of its compact modular cement kiln technology. Maschmeyer Concrete plans to operate the kilns using its 90,000t/yr of ‘waste’ concrete as a feedstock. The company will build an initial 50,000t/yr-capacity mini cement plant in Florida. The partners are currently conducting site analysis and a feasibility study for the project.

This latest deal brings Furno Materials’ total commitments to 295,000t/yr across announced and unannounced projects. The sale remains contingent on the successful deployment of its first commercial-scale reactor with concrete producer Ozinga in Chicago, Illinois.

US: Amrize has announced the commissioning of a production expansion at its cement plant in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, increasing the plant’s capacity by 600,000t/yr to reach a total of 5.0Mt/yr. The expansion forms part of Amrize’s broader US$700m investment plan for 2025, aimed at strengthening operations and supporting domestic customers.

The company said that the project reinforces its commitment to ‘Made in America’ manufacturing, supporting local jobs and communities while ensuring high-quality cement supply for builders across the country.

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.

India: Deccan Cements has issued a notice to the National Stock Exchange of India that its ‘Line-3’ cement plant has been successfully commissioned, with commercial production officially commencing on 15 December 2025. Following the commissioning, the company’s total cement production capacity now stands at 4Mt/yr.

The Gambia: The managing director of Jah Oil, Momodou Hydara, has attributed the ongoing cement shortage in the country to external constraints, including the shallow channel at the Port of Banjul and weather-related disruptions to operations. Hydara said that large vessels cannot dock at the port, and that smaller boats are facing delays due to adverse weather conditions. The shortage has disrupted construction activity and increased retail prices of cement across the country. The shortage has also been attributed to the government's April 2024 decision to increase import tariffs on bagged cement from Senegal.

Hydara said that Jah Oil has sufficient capacity to meet domestic demand. “As we speak, we have two ships at sea carrying 55,000t and 59,500t of cement each, and another carrying 55,000t en route to Banjul,” he said. The two ships contain approximately three million bags of cement, which would cover the monthly consumption of 30,000t. To ease pressure on port operations, Jah Oil has acquired two seagoing vessels, each with a 4000t capacity, to help offload cement from larger ships offshore.

Jah Oil is investing in its production capacity, with a new plant in Farafenni producing 100,000 bags per day, while another in Bafuloto, which can produce 200,000 bags per day, is nearing completion.

Global: Cement and clinker shipments rose by 13% year-on-year between January and November 2025, supported by a 39% increase in deliveries to Africa’s Atlantic coast, according to World Cargo News. BIMCO shipping analysis manager Filipe Gouveia attributed the growth to ‘strong economic growth, rapid urbanisation and significant infrastructure development’ across the region, which is largely import-dependent due to limited domestic clinker production capacity.

“Clinker capacity is particularly limited; although grinding facilities exist, manufacturers still rely on imported clinker, sustaining bulk shipments,” said Gouveia.

Beyond Africa, cement exports increased across East and Southeast Asia and the west coasts of Central and South America, while clinker volumes remained broadly stable. Asian producers, particularly China and Vietnam, have boosted low-priced exports amid overcapacity and weak demand.

“Chinese seaborne exports have more than doubled, up by 135% year-on-year, as domestic construction activity declines amid the country’s property crisis,” said Gouveia. “Vietnamese exports have grown by 16% year-on-year, maintaining Vietnam’s position as the world’s largest exporter with a 27% share of global shipments.”

The US, the world’s largest importer, saw only a 3% rise in shipments, despite recent tariff hikes. Gouveia said that imports from Vietnam and Türkiye have risen by 27% and 14% respectively, despite tariff increases, noting that US clinker production fell by 7% year-on-year from January-July 2025. Gouveia concluded that the global outlook for cement and clinker shipments remains positive, with African demand and intense price competition supporting trade, but cautioned that US building permits fell by 5% year-on-year between January-August 2025, indicating that US demand could slow in the short term.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Cimenterie Kongo (CIMKO) plans to invest over US$300m to expand its cement production capacity from 1.4Mt/yr to 3Mt/yr by 2027. The joint venture between the Rawji Group and Lucky Cement has operated a plant in Songololo, Kongo-Central province since 2018. The investment responds to growing demand from public and private construction and aims to reduce imports and stabilise prices. According to the Central Bank of the Congo, cement consumption reached 2.55Mt in 2023, while local production totalled 2.3Mt, with the shortfall covered by imports.

Other producers are also expanding. China-based WIH Cement plans to raise its capacity to 2.2Mt/yr by 2027, while the Chinese consortium Avic-Conch has partnered with the Congolese government to restart the National Cement plant in Kimpese, Kongo-Central.

The government banned grey cement and clinker imports in the southeast and southwest in July 2024 to support the domestic industry. However, in October 2025, Foreign Trade Minister Julien Paluku ordered an investigation into illegal imports from Nigeria’s Dangote Cement that were reportedly still entering the country due to rising prices of local cement.

Syria: The country is relying on Iraq and nearby countries for fuel and clinker imports to operate its cement plants amid an ongoing fuel oil shortage, according to General Company for Cement and Building Materials head Mahmoud Fadila.

Fadila told state media that plants have shifted to coal temporarily and are importing clinker from Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye to maintain local supply. Syria currently produces 10,000t/day of cement, or 3.6Mt/yr, far short of the 8-9Mt/yr needed for reconstruction.

In October 2025, Damascus approved a major investment from Iraq’s Vertex Group to rehabilitate and expand the third line at the Hama Cement Plant. The project will raise its capacity from 3300t/day to 11,000t/day with the addition of a new 6000t/day line.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Lucky Cement will expand cement production in the country through its joint venture with the Rawji Group, Nyumba Ya Akiba (NYA). The company announced that NYA will increase its capacity from 1.31Mt/yr to 2.91Mt/yr by adding a fully integrated 1.6Mt/yr line.

Following the project, Lucky Cement’s total capacity will increase to 23.2Mt/yr, including 15.3Mt/yr from Pakistan, 1.74Mt/yr from Basra, Iraq, 3.20Mt/yr from Samawah, Iraq, and 2.91Mt/yr from the DRC.