Displaying items by tag: Production

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.

Puerto Rico: Cement production and sales continued to rise in November 2025, driven by sustained construction activity and job growth, according to the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC). Puerto Rico produced 731,000 42.5kg bags of cement during November 2025, marking a 45% year-on-year increase or 228,000 more bags than in November 2024. Total sales of bagged and bulk cement reached nearly 1.2 million units, an 11% increase compared to the same month in 2024.

“These results reflect continued growth in construction activity in Puerto Rico,” said the DDEC, attributing the momentum to both public and private projects. Governor Jenniffer González said the figures showed a broader economic recovery. “The increase in cement production and sales, along with job growth in the construction sector, are clear signs that Puerto Rico continues to move forward with a strong and active economy. Our administration will continue to promote strategic projects that foster investment, infrastructure and quality jobs for our people.”

Pakistan: Fecto Cement has resumed full operations at its Sangjani cement plant in Islamabad following a ruling by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that deemed the previous suspension of activities ‘illegal and without lawful authority.’ The company confirmed the development in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, stating that full plant operations had resumed, and that production has recommenced as normal. Fecto Cement said that the suspension ‘had no material adverse effect’ on its long-term financial position or operations.

UK: First Graphene has announced the successful large-scale production of around 600t of graphene-enhanced cement at Breedon’s Hope Cement Works in Derbyshire ahead of new trial projects rolling out across the UK. The batch contains 3t of First Graphene’s PureGRAPH-CEM® additive, and was produced in a single day. The product is now in storage ahead of despatch for use in three concrete projects across the UK. The University of Manchester will conduct compressive strength testing and analysis of the concrete’s performance.  The additive is introduced during the final milling stage, and is designed to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 16% by lowering the clinker content in the cement.

The first trial involves using 30-40t of the graphene-enhanced cement to produce thousands of roof tiles at FP McCann’s Cadeby plant in Leicestershire. The five-month study is part of an Innovate UK-funded initiative aiming to improve resource efficiency and reduce construction waste in response to the UK government’s housing targets. First Graphene has also reportedly received further interest from organisations in both the UK and Australia for testing the material in various applications.

First Graphene CEO Michael Bell said “Adding graphene into cement has proven to deliver performance benefits for a wide range of applications, and multiple end uses of this cement batch reinforces PureGRAPH®'s versatility. We look forward to working closely with our strategic commercial partner Breedon, Morgan Sindall, FP McCann and the University of Manchester as application trials roll out over the coming months."

Pakistan: Fecto Cement has temporarily suspended operations at its 1Mt/yr cement plant in Sangjani, Islamabad. According to the company, the plant is its primary manufacturing facility and serves northern Pakistan and export markets in Afghanistan. The suspension is reportedly due to administrative issues and ‘procedural matters with local authorities.’

The company did not provide an estimate for when it expects production to resume, but said that it ‘does not foresee any long-term adverse impact’ on its financial position.

Kenya: Bamburi Cement has signed a US$250m engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Sinoma CBMI to build a new 1.6Mt/yr grinding plant in Matuga, Kwale County. The project is part of Bamburi’s strategy to more than double its clinker production from 1Mt/yr to 2.6Mt/yr and its cement capacity from 1.8Mt/yr to 4Mt/yr. The plant will feature a six-stage precalciner system and integrate technology to cut its emissions, including the use of alternative fuels such as coconut husks, cashew shells and municipal solid waste.

“The new clinker line will greatly reduce reliance on imported clinker, improving quality production consistency and securing supply for the domestic market,” said Bamburi Cement CEO Mohit Kapoor at the signing ceremony, which was also attended by President William Ruto. Kapoor added that the investment would save foreign exchange resources, stabilise prices and support rising demand from national infrastructure projects and private sector development.

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.

Bolivia: Cement production and sales in October 2025 increased month-on-month by 6% and 10%, respectively, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE). Production rose from 355,167t in September 2025 to 378,669t in October 2025, while sales climbed from 336,917t to 373,885t, an increase of 11%. Compared to October 2024, cement production rose by 4% to 378,335t, up from 363,784t. Sales also increased slightly year-on-year by 0.3%, or 1175t.

From January to October 2025, cement production was 3.38Mt, a 0.8% increase compared to the same period in 2024. However, total sales during the 10-month period fell slightly to 3.28Mt, down from 3.33Mt in the previous year. La Paz continues to lead in cement production with 1.03Mt, while Santa Cruz leads in sales with 883,430t as of October. INE data shows that Bolivia reached an all-time cement production record of 4.06Mt and sales of 4.10Mt in 2024.

Zimbabwe: Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said that national cement supplies will significantly improve following the US$20m rehabilitation and restart of Khayah Cement’s clinker kiln, which resumed operations in early December 2025 after 26 months of inactivity. He said the resumption is a major intervention to meet national cement demand, which had been disrupted by a combination of issues including a breakdown at PPC’s Harare plant, scheduled maintenance at Sino Cement in Kwekwe, and delays at the border for clinker imports coming from Zambia. The Minister warned that while import permits were initially issued to stabilise prices, abuse of the system through unjustified price increases would not be tolerated and permits would not be renewed.

While PPC has returned to full production, clinker shortages persist, with two newly opened grinding plants in Hwange and Mashonaland West already closed due to lack of clinker. Ndlovu confirmed that discussions are underway to build a new grinding plant as a national strategic investment, which he said would cost between US$150m and US$200m.

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.