UK/Poland: SigmaRoc announced it has entered a share purchase agreement and exercised a call option to acquire the Polish lime operations of CRH. The deal, valued at €100m for deferred consideration, follows SigmaRoc's acquisition of CRH's lime operations in Germany, Ireland, the Czech Republic and the UK. The acquisition includes two production sites in Kujawy and Sitkowka, along with an associated distribution network. Completion is contingent upon clearance from the Polish Competition Office, anticipated by the end of September 2024.

SigmaRoc said it is ‘pleased’ with the progress to date on the integration of the German, Czech, Irish and UK entities, and will provide a further update alongside its interim results for the period ending on 30 June 2024.

UK: Holcim has completed the acquisition of Land Recovery. This acquisition broadens Holcim's access to construction demolition materials, with Land Recovery having recycled over 300,000t in 2023. The deal follows the previous purchase of Sivyer Logistics.

CEO of Holcim, Miljan Gutovic, said "Land Recovery strengthens Holcim’s leading position in circular construction and advances our group target of recycling 10Mt of construction demolition materials in 2024. I look forward to welcoming all 85 employees of Land Recovery and investing in our next era of growth together."

Pakistan: Cement dispatches rose by 7.8% reaching 4.275Mt in May 2024 from 3.97Mt in May 2023. According to data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), local sales fell by 2.2% to 3.36Mt, while exports increased by 72% to 0.91Mt. Over the first 11 months of the financial year, total dispatches were up 3% year-on-year to 41.7Mt. Domestic sales dropped 4% to 35Mt, but exports grew by 66% to 0.66Mt.

An APCMA spokesman said “It is a matter of serious concern that the cement sector continues to post negative growth in local dispatches for the ninth straight month. We are hopeful that the government will give due attention to the concerns of the cement industry in the upcoming budget. We have an almost one-third idle capacity which, if utilised, can bring our operational costs down and provide relief to end-consumers

Global: Policymakers, including those from the governments of Canada, the UAE and Thailand, are meeting cement industry CEOs in Bangkok to discuss how to further advance the decarbonisation of the cement industry. Thailand’s Minister of Industry, Pimphattra Wichaikul, opened the conference.

Wichaikul said “Thailand is one of the first countries in the word with a credible national roadmap for delivering on the cement industry’s net zero commitments. Key to success is innovation, cross-sectorial cooperation, strong leadership with clear targets and international collaboration to drive policy and implementation.”

Fernando González, CEO of Cemex and President of the GCCA, said “We have strong commitments and are already delivering the goal of building a more sustainable industry, and by working with governments, policymakers, built environment experts and other key players we have the opportunity to accelerate our progress in this important ‘decade to deliver’.”

The UN’s Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) also unveiled a new package of investment, technical and other support, to help Thailand decarbonise its own cement industry.

Indonesia: The local government will begin using 'green' cement supplied by state-owned PT Semen Indonesia (SIG) in a bid to ensure sustainable construction in the new capital of Nusantara. This initiative will be a partnership to provide 'green' cement and cement-based products between SIG and PT Bina Karya, a state-owned company carrying out property development in Nusantara. Through 'green' cement production, the company has reportedly recorded a reduction in carbon emissions of up to 38% per tonne of cement so far.

SIG was chosen to supply materials for infrastructure development needs in Nusantara in December 2022. As of February 2024, the company has supplied 0.4Mt of cement from its production facilities in Balikpapan and Samarinda, near Nusantara.

PUPR Ministry’s secretary general, Mohammad Zainal Fatah, said "The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) is seeking to encourage the supply of domestic industry-based material resources and construction equipment, which can support sustainable infrastructure development principles. SIG has the advantage of extensive production and distribution networks that are able to meet development needs in all regions in Indonesia.”

Thailand: B.Grimm Power has partnered with Siam City Cement (SCCC) to establish a joint venture named ‘Insee B.Grimm Solar.’ This collaboration aims to develop a solar rooftop project and a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) project within SCCC’s plant located in Saraburi province.

This project is expected to contribute to Thailand’s clean energy goals by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and integrating renewable energy sources into industrial operations. Specific details regarding the project’s capacity and timeline are not yet available.

Nigeria: Riga has announced its partnership with Lafarge Africa for a kiln shell replacement project in Nigeria. The project will take place at the Lafarge plant in Ewekoro, 64km from Lagos.

Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is enforcing stricter measures against non-compliant cement importers to protect the local market from substandard products. The DTI Bureau of Philippine Standards recently made a suspension after it conducted a market surveillance in Iloilo as part of its intensified monitoring of cement imports entering the country. The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) praised the recent actions of the DTI against cement importers, arguing that there has been ‘excessive’ and ‘unfairly priced’ volume of imported cement in the country to the detriment of local manufacturers, according to The Philippine Star.

CeMAP said “This recent action of the DTI-BPS sends a resounding message that non-compliance and unfair trade practices will not be tolerated. The impact of the DTI’s actions extend beyond the cement industry itself. A strong and competitive local cement sector is vital in supporting the Philippines’ continued infrastructure development and economic growth.”

Spain: The Cemex plant in Alcanar has been granted €3m from the PERTE project for industrial decarbonisation, facilitated by the Ministry of Industry. This subsidy is part of a broader initiative involving 19 projects with a total aid of €96m under Line 1 of the programme. Cemex aims to contribute to decarbonisation of the clinker production process at its Alcanar facility by centralising compressed air production to enhance energy efficiency, replacing 14 old compressors with two more powerful and efficient units. The plant also plans to increase the use of alternative fuels in clinker production by integrating waste-derived and biomass fuels.

Ethiopia: The Lemi National Cement Factory is preparing to begin production within two months. Located in Amhara Regional State, 130km north of Addis Ababa, the plant will produce 6.4Mt/yr of cement, nearly doubling the nation's current production capacity. The plant represents a joint investment between Ethiopian and Chinese investors and according to 2Merkato News, is expected to become the largest cement plant in Africa.