Global Cement Newsletter

Issue: GCW694 / 29 January 2025

Headlines


Northern-Ireland based cement producer Cemcor said this week that it has completed trials of a calcined clay cement product called CalcinX. The company started its trials in 2023 and it has been supported by Queen’s University Belfast and funding from Innovate UK. Work with commercial partners has involved precast concrete paving manufacturer Tobermore producing paviours made from 50% CalcinX as a CEM II replacement and Moore Concrete has also manufactured precast units using 50% CalcinX as a CEM I replacement. So far over 3000t of CalcinX has been produced in a number of industrial-scale trials.

David Millar, the managing director of Cemcor, mentioned his company’s plans for calcined clay in June 2022 when he was interviewed by Global Cement Magazine. The company that became Cemcor bought the Cookstown cement plant and a few other assets from Holcim at the start of 2022. It then changed its name to Cemcor in November 2022. At the time of the interview the company was looking to “...develop new value-added products, including low-CO2 options. This will allow us to use the same amount of clinker to produce more cement.” Millar couldn’t give away too many details at the time, however calcined clay was cited specifically. It was also noted that the company had the right material in its quarry and that it was already working with partners on it.

Amongst all the other decarbonisation options available for cement plants, a slow trickle of calcined clay projects keep being announced. In January 2025, for example, thyssenkrupp Polysius said it had secured a front-end engineering design contract from Circlua for the construction of the world’s largest activated clay plant in Brazil. This project in Para state will have a capacity of 3000t/day, will use renewable energy sources and will “improve the CO2 footprint in cement production.” CBMI Construction also officially launched a flash calcination clay project in Tangshan, Hebei province in China. In December 2024, Vicat signed an agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations to develop the Lebec Net Zero (LNZ) project at its Lebec cement plant in California. This includes plans to produce calcined clay-based cement. Earlier in the autumn of 2024 Portugal-based Cimpor said it was preparing to convert a kiln at its Souselas plant to produce calcined clays, AVIC International Beijing and KHD said that they had secured a deal to build a 900t/day clay calcination plant for Ciments de l'Afrique (CIMAF) in Burkina Faso, and Holcim Česko said it was going to construct a calcined clay processing line at the Čížkovice cement plant in the Czech Republic.

One news story that stuck out in the autumn was the progress of a collaboration between Aumund and Holcim towards developing an electric linear calcination conveyor (eLCC). The two companies started work on the project in 2020 intending to look at the electrical calcination of clay using an Aumund pan conveyor. Initial tests of the eLCC reportedly demonstrated efficient thermal activation of clay through a combination of radiant heat and material circulation. The eLCC system is fully enclosed, insulated, has a compact design and can operate using electrical-powered renewable sources. The first industrial plant utilising this technology is scheduled for construction in 2025. Calcined clay technology and products by other industrial suppliers are available. The work by Aumund and its competitors show they are watching this market closely.

OneStone Consulting’s Joe Harder has found that only 14 clay calcination plants were operational worldwide in 2023 with a production capacity of just under 3.5Mt/yr. These are based in Latin America, Europe and Africa. In an article previewing a market report in the February 2025 issue of Global Cement Magazine, Harder predicts that by 2035 there will be 79 clay calcination plants with a capacity of just under 21Mt/yr. A steady growth of over 20 new plants annually is also expected subsequently from 2035 to 2050 as cement producers seek cost-effective ways to reduce their clinker factor. He identified installation costs, a lack of knowledge about clay-based cements, trouble obtaining mining rights and policy issues amongst other issues as holding back the use of clay calcination.

The current expectation is that calcined clay usage in the cement industry will be a minority option. Yet the size of global cement production can make a production share of, say, 3 - 8% a viable option for both cement manufacturers and equipment suppliers. The adoption of new cement products and standards can also take a long time and this clouds predictions of how far clay can go in the cement industry. At this point in the calcined clay story it is time to keep track of the new projects being set up.

Joe Harder will present a talk entitled ‘Calcined clay market trends by 2035’ at the Global FutureCem Conference taking place in Istanbul in early February 2025


Canada: St Marys Cement has appointed Ali Firat as the Director, Operations at its Bowmanville cement plant in Ontario.

Firat previously worked as the Plant Manager at Traçim Çiment’s at Vize, Kirklareli in Türkiye. Before this he was a Production Manager for OYAK Cement. Earlier in his career he spent about 15 years working for Traçim Çiment and Ladik Cement in a variety of production roles. He is a graduate of the Middle East Technical University in Ankara and holds a master of business administration (MBA) from Bahcesehir University in Istanbul.


France: Ecocem will build its first production facility dedicated to ACT, its low-carbon cement technology, at its Dunkirk site. The new site will be operational by 2026 with an initial capacity of 300,000t/yr of ACT.

The expansion will increase the plant's total production capacity to beyond 1Mt/yr and strengthen Ecocem’s operations in northern France, Paris and export markets. The first half of 2025 will see the installation of the key component of the facility, the mill, which will produce the required fillers, as well as expansion of blending and storage facilities. ACT is expected to be delivered to the market in the second half of 2026.

The total investment for the expansion is €50m, funded through a ‘green loan’ from the EthiFinance agency and supported by the French government and local authorities. France 2030's ‘Première Usine’ initiative also awarded a €3.6m grant, with additional grants from the Hauts-de-France Region and Dunkirk Urban Community.

Ecocem will partner with limestone supplier CB Green for the commercial production and delivery of ACT at the Dunkirk site.


US: Titan Cement has announced that its subsidiary, Titan America, has launched its initial public offering (IPO) of 24 million common shares, comprising 9 million new shares to be issued and 15 million existing shares to be sold. The IPO is expected to price between US$15-18 per share.

Following completion, Titan Cement will retain 160,362,465 shares, representing 87% ownership of Titan America.


Afghanistan: The Jabal al-Saraj cement plant project in Parwan province has completed 90% of initial exploration work, along with the drilling of 18 deep wells for mineral sampling, according to Tolo news.

The facility has been contracted between the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum and a Qatari firm, and is valued at US$220m.

Mohammad Idris Anwari, the governor of Parwan, said "The contracting company has completed 90% of the exploration work within six months, ahead of schedule. We are hopeful that the remaining construction and technical work will be completed within two years."

The plant will initially produce 3000t/day (0.96Mt/yr) of cement, rising to 9000t/day (2.9Mt/yr) in later phases. The project will reportedly create 5000 jobs.


Colombia: Cementos Argos has obtained third-party verification for an environmental product declaration (EPD) for the Type VII cement produced at its Cartagena plant.

Tomás Restrepo, vice president of Cementos Argos, said "This certificate validates our efforts to reduce environmental impacts, optimise resources and offer a high-quality material that responds to the needs of each of our clients' projects.”


Democratic Republic of the Congo: Heidelberg Materials has agreed to divest its 91% stake in Cimenterie de Lukala, a cement producer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to WIH Cement Developing Company. The transaction comprises an integrated cement plant in Lukala, near the capital of Kinshasa. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Completion is expected in 2025, subject to regulatory approvals.


Qatar: Qatar National Cement has reported a net profit of US$44m for 2024, down from US$56.3m in 2023, while sales revenue declined to US$109m from US$126m.The company maintained profitability despite reduced demand for its core products due to cost optimisation and operational improvements.

The firm reportedly plans to implement refuse derived fuel at its Umm Bab facility in 2025, following technical consultations.


Canada: Cement exports declined by 2% year-on-year to 4.4Mt in 2024, according to a report by IndexBox. In terms of value, exports reached US$534m in 2024.

The US remained the sole export destination, accounting for 100% of total exports, according to the report. Portland cement represented 85% of total shipments at 3.7Mt.


India: A committee has identified environmental compliance failures at the Adani-owned ACC cement plant in Barmana, Bilaspur district, according to The Indian Express.

The inspection conducted revealed inadequate dust emission controls, missing three-layer tree plantation and deficient truck-tyre washing systems at the plant. Only one kiln was operational at 40% capacity during the visit, as the plant is undergoing maintenance from 3 January to 8 February 2025. Therefore, the committee has requested an additional eight weeks to submit its report, so that it may conduct a more thorough investigation once the plant is operating at full capacity.

The Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board has previously imposed a US$149,000 fine on the plant in April 2022 for air quality breaches and untreated water discharge, with at least seven complaints lodged against the plant by local residents over the last three years.


US: Carbon capture firm Nuada and lime producer MLC (formerly Mississippi Lime Company) have signed a memorandum of understanding to demonstrate net-zero lime production at MLC's Ste. Genevieve plant in Missouri. The partners aim to contribute to a reduction of the facility’s CO₂ emissions by 95%.

Nuada’s technology uses metal-organic frameworks as a solid sorbent alongside vacuum swing pressure adsorption, which utilises pressure rather than heat to separate CO₂ from flue gases.

Co-CEO Jose Casaban said "Our breakthrough in carbon capture technology sets a new standard for energy efficiency, paving the way for transformative decarbonisation in hard-to-abate sectors like lime manufacturing. Through this collaboration with MLC, we are driving the next generation of carbon capture forward, setting a new standard for emissions reduction and sustainability in the lime industry."


India: Aditya Birla Group subsidiary UltraTech Cement has entered talks to acquire Heidelberg Materials' 69% stake in HeidelbergCement India, Reuters reports. Executives from Aditya Birla Group have reportedly met with Heidelberg Materials' management to discuss the acquisition. Heidelberg Materials’ stake has been valued at approximately US$391m.

The talks come after the Economic Times reported that Ultratech’s rival Adani Group was in discussions to buy Heidelberg's stake back in October 2024.


India: JK Cement has entered a joint venture with Saifco Cement, through which it will expand its offering in northern India. JK Cement will acquire a 60% stake in Saifco Cement for US$20.1m to expand in Jammu and Kashmir, where Saifco owns limestone reserves of 129Mt across 144 hectares. The acquisition will involve both the companies working together to increase the capacity of cement production by leveraging the expanse of the limestone reserves in the next five years, according to a press release.

JK Cement CEO Madhav Singhania said "Cement demand typically leads economic expansion by a factor of 1.2 in regions with significant infrastructural development opportunities, and Kashmir is undoubtedly one of these regions."


Tunisia: Carthage Cement recorded a fall in turnover of 2% year-on-year to US$133m at the end of the 2024 financial year, ‘in an economic context marked by numerous challenges’, according to local news reports. Despite this, the company recorded a rise in cement production and clinker production, to 1.82Mt (+3% year-on-year) and 1.57Mt (+1% year-o-year) respectively. Local sales rose by 2% year-on-year to US$109m, while exports fell by 30% to U$12.6m. This decrease was reportedly mainly due to a strategic decision to limit export clinker sales in view of ‘unattractive’ market conditions. The producer reduced its debt by 10% to US$101m.


Malaysia: Cahya Mata Cement will build a second line at its Mambong facility in Kuching to increase cement production and support Sarawak's infrastructure development. Construction is expected to take 24 months, with expected completion in March 2027.

The project will add 6000t/day of clinker capacity, raising output to 1.92Mt/yr. This will enable the company to become self-sufficient in its clinker supply and therefore eliminate the need for imports.

The company signed a technical consulting agreement with Sinoma Industry Engineering in November 2023 to design and construct the new production line. It will feature a waste heat recovery system, generating up to 6MW of power, alongside a dust filter designed to cut emissions to half of the current regulatory limit, according to the New Straits Times. The new line will also use locally-sourced alternative raw materials to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

Cahya Mata Cement acting division head Choong Ju Tang said "Once the project is approved and construction is completed, Cahya Mata Cement will be well-positioned to meet the construction industry's demand.”


Canada: Ash Grove Cement, part of CRH, says it will release the findings of technical studies supporting its plan to burn alternative fuels at its Mississauga cement plant. Ash Grove plans to burn materials such as construction and demolition waste, wood, plastics and rubber.

The company says the initiative will reduce fossil fuel emissions by limiting its current reliance on coal, while also diverting materials from landfill.


Kenya: The government has warned cement producers about buying materials from unlicensed sources. Cabinet Secretary Hassan Ali Joho has berated cement producers for purchasing minerals from unauthorised sellers, arguing that this practice enables the operations of illegal miners who exploit the country’s natural resources.

During a meeting with cement producers and representatives from the Kenya Association of Manufacturers and Kenya Chamber of Mines, Joho said "We need your support in fighting against illegal mining operations, but sadly some of you provide markets for minerals extracted illegally by faceless entities that are not paying taxes, royalties and are giving nothing to communities for those minerals. This must stop.”

In the past three years, the government has closed 3000 illicit mines that were operating without licenses. The Cabinet Secretary noted that gypsum was a heavily exploited material by the illegal miners, who use it as an ingredient in cement.

Joho added “You have been buying and using gypsum in cement manufacturing, yet there is no record of anyone licensed to mine gypsum in Kenya. There are no records on production, payment of taxes and royalties or community programs undertaken by any gypsum dealer because they are doing it illegally.”


Pakistan: Cement exports have increased by 23% to US$167m from July to December 2024, compared to US$136m in the same period of 2023, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Export volumes rose by 34% from 3.51Mt to 4.69Mt. In December 2024, exports grew by 45% year-on-year to US$31.9m, up from US$22m in December 2023. The data also showed a 3% month-on-month rise in December 2024 compared to November 2024.


Poland: The Polish cement industry predicts a 5% increase in production in 2025, to nearly 18Mt, driven by anticipated economic growth and potential EU fund unblocking under a national recovery plan.

Poland's statistics office reported cement production of 16.5Mt at the end of November 2024, a 5.6% year-on-year increase. The main factor impacting Poland's cement production volume was a weak construction industry and a significant increase in imports from Ukraine. According to a report by EY Poland, cement imports from Ukraine increased from just 300t in 2015 to almost 0.33Mt in 2023. Ukraine's share of cement imports to Poland in 2023 reached 29%, almost equalling the volume of supplies from Germany.


Spain: Holcim, Enagás and gas supplier Saggas have announced the ‘CO2necta’ project, a joint decarbonisation initiative that will capture, transmit and store over 0.56Mt/yr of CO₂. The project will involve the construction of a CO₂ capture plant at Holcim's Sagunto plant in Valencia. Captured CO₂ will be transported through Enagás infrastructure to the Saggas terminal in the Port of Sagunto, where it will be liquefied and then shipped for geological storage.


India: UltraTech Cement’s profit after tax for the third quarter of the 2025 financial year declined by 17% year-on-year to US$166m, compared to US$199m in the third quarter of the 2024 financial year. Net sales rose slightly, by 1.4%, to US$1.87bn from US$1.84bn in the previous corresponding period.

The company projected a future growth in volume of 7-8%, due to its focus on infrastructure and housing projects, as well as increased demand. It said that its capacity expansion program remains on track, with 1.8Mt/yr added during the quarter. Including its acquisition of The India Cements, UltraTech’s total cement capacity has reached 171Mt/yr. It expects to reach 200Mt/yr capacity by the end of the 2027 financial year.


India: Shiva Cement, a JSW Cement subsidiary, has signed an agreement with Bhushan Power and Steel (BPSL) for the development of a 1Mt/yr cement grinding unit at BPSL's premises in Sambalpur, Odisha. The agreement formalises the proposed transaction following board and shareholder approvals in 2024, as well as the signing of a memorandum of understanding.

Under the agreement, BPSL will construct, install and operate the grinding unit for Shiva Cement. The total transaction value is capped at US$44m.


China: The Conch Zongyang Line 4 preheater modernisation project, based on KHD technology, has been selected as a pilot project under the Sino-German Energy Efficiency Improvement Demonstration in Key Industries programme. The initiative will be executed by KHD, its parent company AVIC International Beijing, and Conch Group’s research and development department. Results are expected by the end of 2025.

The programme stems from a 2023 agreement between China and Germany on climate change and ‘green’ transition cooperation. The programme was announced in 2024. It evaluated 12 candidate projects before selecting the Conch Zongyang project for its integration of technologies to achieve energy efficiency and a reduction in CO₂.

This project is one of several provided by AVIC to Chinese cement producers using KHD’s pyroprocessing, grinding, alternative fuel and digitalisation solutions.


Iraq: The General Company for Iraqi Cement, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, reported a 7% year-on-year increase in cement production in 2024, to 10.2Mt. Director Aqil Raddam attributed the growth to successful efforts to raise productivity to meet local market demand, Iraqi News reports.