Displaying items by tag: GCW730

Egypt: Ayat Zanaty has been appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Holcim subsidiary Lafarge Egypt. Zanaty will be the first woman in the position, advancing Lafarge Egypt’s NextGen2030 strategy.

Zanaty has worked for Lafarge Egypt since 2008, most recently as Senior Manager – Financial Planning Analysis. She holds a bachelor’s of business administration degree in Finance and Marketing from The American University in Cairo.

US: James Hardie has appointed Samara Toole as its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Toole will lead marketing strategy and execution across the company’s James Hardie, TimberTech and AZEK Exteriors brands. She brings over 20 years’ consumer product industry experience, including as CMO of outdoor living products company The AZEK Company and home furnishings company California Closets and as Senior Vice President Marketing at interior design company Serena & Lily.

Business Wire News has reported that James Hardie CEO Aaron Erter said "Under Sam's leadership, we will continue to elevate our marketing capabilities, deepen customer engagement and successfully expand our market presence across North America."

Toole said "My focus is on showcasing the beauty, performance and sustainability of our products to drive growth across the entire value chain."

Kazakhstan: Construction has begun on a US$222m cement plant in the Alginsky district of the Aktobe region, developed in partnership with West China Cement. The facility will have a production capacity of 2Mt/yr and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Around 1000 workers are reportedly engaged in site preparation, including laying utility lines and building a dormitory for personnel. Once operational, the plant will create approximately 500 permanent jobs, according to Kazakhstan Newsline.

Regional governor Askhat Shakharov, during a visit to the site, said that the project will play a key role in boosting the region’s industrial capacity and strengthening cooperation with China. “The implementation of this project will help reduce dependence on cement imports and supply the domestic market with building materials. The main thing is to conduct the construction according to the schedule and in compliance with all technological requirements,” he said.

India: JSW Cement, part of JSW Group, has commissioned a 1Mt/yr cement grinding unit at Sambalpur, Odisha, through its subsidiary Shiva Cement. The addition raises JSW’s total installed capacity to 21.6 Mt/yr. According to the company, the new facility will help meet rising cement demand in eastern India. The project was developed and financed by Shiva Cement under a commercial arrangement with Bhushan Power and Steel, and will produce cement exclusively for Shiva Cement’s use and consumption.

JSW Cement CEO Nilesh Narwekar said “The eastern region of the country is poised for exponential growth in the coming years. This new state-of-the-art facility in Sambalpur marks a significant milestone in our journey to expand and consolidate our position in this market,” he said.

JSW Cement currently operates seven manufacturing plants across India, including one integrated unit, one clinker plant and five grinding units.

France: Cement producer Eqiom has inaugurated a €2.5m pilot station for the continuous injection of alternative fuels at its Rochefort-sur-Nenon plant. The new facility enables the injection of wood fines - treated wood residues sourced from local sawmills - directly into the kiln at a rate of 5000t/yr.

The facility has reduced its coal use from 30,000t/yr to 8000t/yr. Currently, more than 70% of the plant’s kiln fuel comes from alternative sources, with the site now targeting 80%. Since the 1990s, the plant has successively used liquid chemical waste, animal meal and solid recovered fuels (SRF), which together accounted for 50,000t in 2024. Eqiom is also developing new cement types with lower clinker content by incorporating more pozzolans, as part of its broader decarbonisation efforts.

Pierre Bernard, Eqiom’s head of cement manufacturing, noted that national cement production fell from 20Mt/yr in 2022 to 15Mt/yr in 2024, equivalent to 1960 levels, due to a decline in construction activity.

Spain: Cemex has signed a collaboration agreement with Enagás, through its subsidiary Scale Green Energy, to develop logistics solutions for the maritime transport of captured CO₂ from cement production, aiming to accelerate industrial decarbonisation. The partnership will explore options for transporting captured CO₂ via pipeline. It includes developing a full CO₂ value chain, from capture at Cemex facilities to maritime shipment in liquefied form aboard a new vessel designed by Scale Green Energy, to eventual delivery to a licensed storage site in southern Europe. Scale Green Energy plans to design a next-generation vessel with a capacity of 20,000m³ for the transport of liquefied CO₂, enabling flexible and efficient transport to multiple Mediterranean storage hubs.

Jesús Saldaña, general manager of business development and investee companies at Enagás, said “This alliance to develop comprehensive logistics for the maritime transport of captured CO₂ represents an opportunity for Enagás and Cemex to jointly lead innovation to help decarbonise the industry, boosting its competitiveness, and for Spain to play a leading role in achieving the European Commission's goal of capturing 50Mt of CO₂ by 2030.”

Benjamín Cabrera, director of cement and technology operations at Cemex Spain, added “To advance the decarbonisation of the cement industry, it is essential to develop large-scale logistics solutions that allow us to manage large volumes of CO₂ safely, efficiently, and competitively. This agreement lays the foundations for a pioneering infrastructure that will connect Cemex plants in Spain with the main storage hubs in the Mediterranean.”

Vietnam: Industry leaders have argued that co-processing of non-recyclable plastic waste in cement kilns could be a scalable solution to advance Vietnam’s sustainability and circular economy goals. At a workshop held in Hanoi on 2 October 2025, the Norwegian Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research (SINTEF) and the Royal Norwegian Embassy, in partnership with the Vietnam National Cement Association (VNCA), concluded the OPTOCE Project (‘Ocean Plastic Turned into an Opportunity in Circular Economy’), funded by the Norwegian government.

Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Hilde Solbakken said “Combating marine plastics and climate change is a top priority for Norway – both globally and in Vietnam. Through OPTOCE, we’ve seen how science-based solutions like co-processing can transform plastic waste into a resource that benefits the climate, the economy and communities.”

OPTOCE was originally launched as a regional initiative in five countries, including Vietnam, and later expanded to eight countries across Asia. The workshop featured several presentations and a panel discussion focusing on the legal framework, potential waste supplies, and the practices and challenges in implementing co-processing in Vietnam.

Dr Kåre Helge Karstensen, chief scientist and programme manager of OPTOCE, added that the initiative has proven co-processing to be both technically feasible and environmentally sound. “The next step is to move beyond pilots and integrate this solution into national policy frameworks to drive systemic change,” he said.

Dr Lương Đức Long, VNCA vice president, said Vietnam’s cement industry is already applying co-processing successfully. “Co-processing waste in cement kilns is a safe and effective solution. We hope the government introduces specific policies and incentives that support enterprises and technology transfer. If we join forces, co-processing will turn wastes into ‘black gold’ and cement factories into ideal co-processing hubs,” he said.

Vietnam’s cement plants, including INSEE’s Hon Chong facility in Kien Giang and Lam Thach Green Cement (QNC)’s plant in the north, have piloted this approach since 2021, achieving thermal substitution rates of 35–40%.

Russia: CEMROS has inaugurated a new cement terminal in Novocheboksarsk, located on the cargo berth of the Cheboksary river port. The facility is designed to handle up to 50,000t/yr. Supplies to the terminal will be routed from CEMROS’s Sengileevsky branch in the Ulyanovsk region. By using river logistics, the company aims to ensure direct deliveries from plant to consumer, reduce reliance on road and rail during peak seasons, and maintain stable cement prices. The terminal will primarily serve enterprises in the Chuvash Republic and Mari El Republic which are engaged in major infrastructure projects. Test operations at the terminal are set to begin shortly, with full capacity expected to be achieved by the start of April 2026.

“The terminal expands the port’s capabilities and strengthens its position as the region’s logistics hub. It’s an investment in the republic’s infrastructure and an additional resource for the construction industry,” said Vanifatiy Shaikin, general director of the Cheboksary port.

Denis Nazarov, director of procurement and logistics at CEMROS, said “We are creating a sustainable supply chain and a network of river cement terminals that reduce delivery distances and guarantee consumers direct access to our products. River transport in the Volga-Kama basin offers enormous potential to efficiently supply construction materials to key regions.”

Vietnam: Cement production reached 137Mt in the first nine months of 2025, marking a 15% year-on-year increase, according to data from the National Statistics Office (NSO).

In September 2025, output totalled 16.2Mt, up by 28% compared to the same month in 2024. The NSO’s revised figures show that Vietnam produced 184Mt of cement in 2024, a 3.5% increase year-on-year.

Argentina: Cement dispatches in September 2025 reached 0.92Mt, a 0.5% increase compared to September 2024 and up by 3% from August 2025, according to data from the AFCP. Domestic shipments in September 2025 totalled 0.92Mt, while exports amounted to 5166t. Cumulative cement deliveries from January to September 2025 reached 7.5Mt, representing a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.