Philippines: Cemex Holdings Philippines has entered a retail supply agreement through its subsidiary Apo Cement with Sem-Calaca Res to supply 44MW of electricity to its cement plant in Naga, Cebu. The agreement will remain effective until 25 December 2024.

Chair and President Isidro Consunji said "While cement demand is currently low, we expect it to rebound as our turnaround plan progresses, supported by the 'Build Better More' programme and the anticipated easing of interest rates next year."

Türkiye: The value of Türkiye's cement exports to Russia has fallen by 15.5% to US$40m in the first half of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, according to Türkiye's Trade Ministry. In June 2024, cement exports to Russia totalled US$7.2m, down by 5.5% from June 2023.

Additionally, Türkiye's total cement exports from January to June 2024 decreased by 9.4%, amounting to US$2.1bn. June 2024 saw a significant reduction, with exports valued at US$336.5m, an 18.3% decline from 2023.

Pakistan: According to brokerage firm AKD Securities, Pakistan's cement industry recorded a 2% year-on-year growth in dispatches, reaching 45.3Mt in the financial year 2024, largely due to increased exports. Domestic sales, however, fell to a seven-year low of 33.2Mt, a 5% decline from 2023. This drop is attributed to a slowdown in construction activities, influenced by high construction costs, rising inflation, and peak interest rates.

Exports grew significantly by 56% year-on-year, amounting to 7.11Mt. This was mainly due to the decreased international coal prices, which improves the viability of exports. Despite the overall increase, June 2024 saw a decline in both local sales and exports. Local sales fell by 12% due to fewer working days during the Eid holidays, and exports declined by 18%, mainly due to reduced clinker sales from the south regions.

France: The Eqiom Lumbres cement plant, part of CRH, has commissioned ThyssenKrupp Polysius to construct a fine grinding plant. The new plant will include the Polysius booster mill and the Sepol ultra-fine classifier, along with necessary auxiliary equipment. ThyssenKrupp Polysius is set to deliver the equipment by late summer 2025, aiming for commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2025. It will also provide on-site service and technical support for performance optimisation.

Project Manager Layal Haddad said "We are proud to be contributing to decarbonisation with the ultra-fine grinding plant and reducing the CO₂ footprint of cement. This is the first ultra-fine grinding plant based on a Polysius booster mill to be sold worldwide. We look forward to a successful project together with the Eqiom/CRH team."

Canada: Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, announced the reinvestment of up to US$1.6m from industrial pollution pricing proceeds into a new emissions reduction project at St Marys Cement in St Marys, Ontario. This initiative will involve the installation of a new kiln utilising low-carbon fuels, including discarded plastics, to reduce the use of carbon-intensive fuels used in the manufacturing process by up to 30%. The project aims for a reduction of over 39,900t of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, according to Foreign Affairs news.

India: Oriana Power has received an order for a 40MWp solar power plant in Rajasthan from a cement producer. The project is valued at US$18m. Oriana will provide engineering, procurement and construction, alongside the commissioning, operation and maintenance of the plant. The plant is scheduled for commissioning in April 2025, with a subsequent operation and maintenance period of 25 years.

Canada: WEG will supply the substation of Votorantim Cimentos North America’s St Marys Cement plant in Bowmanville, Ontario with its transformers. The order includes four transformers with capacities of 20MVA and 25MVA and voltage levels of 43.8/4.16kV. Sales and engineering teams from Brazil collaborated with VJ Pamensky Canada, the exclusive distributor of WEG in Canada, on the project.

Pakistan: Cement producers across Pakistan have initiated an indefinite nationwide strike in response to increased withholding and turnover taxes introduced in the federal budget for 2024-25. The mandatory implementation of Point of Sale systems has also been criticised, due to a lack of resources and training. The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association is urging the government to adopt a presumptive tax regime to mitigate these challenges. Meanwhile, despite domestic challenges, Pakistan's cement exports rose by 40.5% in the first 11 months of the 2023-2024 financial year (FY23-24), which ended on 30 June 2024. reaching almost US$237m from US$168m in the corresponding period in FY22-23.

Vietnam: State-owned Vietnam Cement Industry Corporation (Vicem) reported a loss of US$34m in the first half of 2024, a figure that has increased by 200% year-on-year.

The losses are attributed to a stagnant real estate market, rising material and fuel costs, exchange rate fluctuations and intense competition within the industry. Vicem produced 7.63Mt of clinker and 9.77Mt of cement during the period, experiencing over a 7% year-on-year decline in both. Its revenue also fell by 19.4% year-on-year to nearly US$520m. This is the second consecutive year the firm has recorded a loss, following a US$43m deficit in 2023.

Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement reported on 12 July 2024 that its revenue in the first half of 2024 was impacted by lower average cement prices. In the first six months of 2024, sales of cement fell 4% to 0.72Mt from 0.75Mt in 2023. The company generated sales of US$32.4m, down 9.6% from US$36bn in 2023. During the first half of 2024, the cement market in Kazakhstan declined by 1.6% year-on-year from 2023, with much of the decline concentrated in the first quarter. Overall demand in the Kazakh cement market was 11Mt in 2023, and is expected to be similar in 2024. Looking ahead, the company anticipates further growth and increased sales in 2024.

A spokesperson for Steppe said "The cost of transport and some utilities, particularly electricity, have significantly increased year-on-year. However, sales focus in local markets, better production levels and higher productivity have partially compensated for these increased costs."