Displaying items by tag: Expansion

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.

Iraq: Saman Cement has awarded a contract for the supply of a MVR 5000 R-4 vertical roller mill from Gebr. Pfeiffer for the second production line at its plant in Al Mothanna Province. The mill will grind 450t/hr of cement raw material, drying feed with 6.7% moisture to below 1%. It features a 4000kW drive and an SLS 4000 VR classifier. This follows nearly a decade of operation by a Gebr. Pfeiffer MPS 5000 B mill on the plant’s first line. Sinoma International Engineering is acting as general contractor. Commissioning is scheduled for the first half of 2027.

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.

India: Ambuja Cements has commissioned a 4Mt/yr brownfield expansion of its clinker unit at Bhatapara, Chhattisgarh. The company confirmed the new capacity is fully operational, raising its consolidated clinker capacity to 66Mt/yr. Ambuja Cements has also increased its 2028 financial year capacity target to 155Mt/yr, up from 140Mt/yr, with the additional capacity to be achieved through debottlenecking.

The company will install 13 blenders across its plants over the next 12 months to optimise product mix and raise its premium product cement share. Planned logistics infrastructure upgrades are expected to improve capacity utilisation by 3% over the next two years.

Nigeria: The cement industry is set to reach a market value of US$1.44bn by the end of 2025, following a 9.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2020 and 2024, according to The Daily Times. The sector is projected to expand at a 7.9% CAGR between 2025 and 2029, with the market forecast to grow from US$1.33bn in 2024 to US$1.96bn by the end of 2029.

Growth is reportedly being driven by public infrastructure projects, urban housing and import substitution. Local producers have managed to maintain supplies, despite currency pressure, energy costs and logistics constraints. Firms are investing in alternative fuels, digital logistics and energy optimisation to manage volatility and support sustainability targets. However, long-term competitiveness will depend on regulatory reforms, energy stability and sustainable resource management.

India: JK Lakshmi Cement will invest US$203m to expand clinker and cement capacity in Chhattisgarh, as it looks to strengthen its position in eastern and central India. The company signed a memorandum of understanding for the project during the Chhattisgarh Investor Connect event on 25 November 2025. JK Lakshmi currently operates 16.5Mt/yr of capacity, and will add 2.31Mt/yr of clinker capacity and 1.2Mt/yr of cement capacity as part of the expansion.

“Chhattisgarh has been central to our manufacturing strategy, and this investment strengthens our ability to serve eastern and central India with reliable, efficient capacity,” said deputy managing director Shrivats Singhania.

Rwanda: Narendra Raval, Executive Chair and CEO of Devki Group, owner of Cimerwa, has announced an commitment to make Rwanda fully self-sufficient in terms of cement production ‘in the near future.’ Raval made the remarks on 14 November 2025 during a customer engagement meeting with stakeholders and distributors in the Rwandan capital Kigali. Cimerwa is Rwanda’s only integrated cement manufacturer, and is currently upgrading its facilities with a new US$190m clinker line.

Raval reported that Rwanda already makes 86% of the cement that it consumes, with imports falling from 360,000t/yr to just 72,000t/yr ‘in recent years.’ He said “I have promised myself, my staff and the country that by the next budget meeting, we will achieve a 100% import-free Rwanda.” The next Rwandan budget will run from 1 July 2026. Going further, Raval added “We will make Rwanda a net exporter of both clinker and cement within two years.”

Egypt: Titan Egypt, a subsidiary of Greece-based Titan Group, plans to invest US$63.5m over the next two years to expand production capacity and increase the use of alternative fuels to reduce costs, according to CEO Amr Reda.

The company operates two cement plants in Beni Suef and Alexandria with a combined capacity of 4.5Mt/yr, which will rise to 5.5Mt/yr following the planned expansions. Titan Egypt currently exports 30% of its production. Exports were 550,000t in 2024, with targets of 850,000t by the end of 2025 and 1Mt in 2026. Key export markets include Libya, Syria, Europe, the US and West Africa, alongside reconstruction projects in Gaza and Sudan.

India: JK Cement has commissioned a new 1Mt/yr cement grinding facility at its Prayagraj works, raising the unit’s capacity from 2Mt/yr to 3Mt/yr and the company’s total grey cement capacity from 25.3Mt/yr to 26.3Mt/yr. The project forms part of JK Cement’s 6Mt/yr capacity expansion plan approved in January 2024, which includes brownfield projects in Panna, Hamirpur and Prayagraj, and a greenfield plant in Bihar.

India: Sagar Cements reported sales of US$146m in the first half of the 2026 financial year, up by 22% year-on-year. Its costs also rose steeply, by 11%, to US$149m. As such, its loss before interest and taxation was US$2.58m. This represents a successful reduction of 82%, from US$14.4m in the first half of the 2025 financial year. Sagar Cements proceeded with expansion projects at its Andhra Cements and Jeerabad cement plants ‘as per plan.’ Subsidiary Andhra Cements has since commissioned a six-stage preheater at its Dachepalli Plant in Andhra Pradesh on 23 October 2025. By the end of the 2026 financial year, Sagar Cements expects to commission a 4.35MW waste heat recovery plant at its Gudipadu plant in Andhra Pradesh and complete a 50% capacity expansion at its Jeerabad plant in Madhya Pradesh, up to 1.5Mt/yr. The group forecast full-year sales volumes of 6Mt.

Capital Markets News has reported that Joint Managing Director Sreekanth Reddy said "Our focus on operational efficiency and cost optimisation helped us sustain healthy margins even in a softer pricing environment. EBITDA/tonne remained resilient, supported by higher plant utilisation levels and disciplined cost management across the value chain. We have maintained our growth momentum in the second quarter of the 2025 financial year, despite the seasonal impact of the monsoon. As expected, realisations softened during the quarter; however, the overall operating environment remained stable, with costs remaining low.” Looking ahead to the current, second half of the financial year, Reddy said "With the monsoon season now behind us, we expect demand momentum to pick up, led by the continued push in infrastructure, housing and other construction activities.”