Global Cement Newsletter

Issue: GCW780 / 07 October 2026

Headlines


Polysius launched ThyssenKrupp Polysius Solutions this week. It has described the new company as a dedicated lifecycle solutions provider. By doing so, it joins a number of other traditional cement equipment manufacturers that have also pivoted into services and retrofits over the last decade or so.

Parent company ThyssenKrupp previously tried to sell its cement plant engineering division in the late 2010s as part of a major restructuring. It didn’t manage to divest that part but it did sell its mining division to FLSmidth along the way. This had implications as the Denmark-based FLSmidth gradually turned into a mining company and eventually sold its cement engineering division to private equity. ThyssenKrupp’s cement business kept going and it later launched its sustainable process technologies as ThyssenKrupp Calvion in May 2026. That subsidiary’s intention is to specialise in sustainable process technologies for the cement, lime and other energy‑intensive industries. The rest of ThyssenKrupp Polysius said it was sharpening “its profile as a provider of single‑machine solutions, modernisations, spare parts and field services.”

Now at the start of October 2026 ThyssenKrupp Polysius has carved off a section of itself as ThyssenKrupp Polysius Solutions. Its stated aim is to help customers maximise the value of their equipment and to support them throughout the lifecycle of their plants with consultation, upgrades, retrofit equipment, digital products, spare parts and services. Around 180 employees will transfer from Polysius to the new company. The remainder of ThyssenKrupp Polysius will continue to operate in parallel to complete ongoing projects and existing contractual obligations.

Other cement equipment manufacturers have been on similar journeys in recent years, focusing less on delivering whole new production lines and more on retrofits and service. This has also tied in with the trend for sustainability and increasing digital products such as predictive maintenance. Some industry commentators have also blamed this on Chinese companies undercutting their competitors and capturing the full production line market. For example, Fuller Technologies said it was going to work on a portfolio of capital products, digital and service offerings when it was purchased (as FLSmidth Cement) by Pacific Avenue Capital Partners in late 2025. Before this, companies including KHD, Fives, Gebr. Pfeiffer and Loesche have all switched in some fashion or another to supplying parts of cement production lines and/or ongoing services, often with a focus on sustainability, efficiency and/or digital along the way.

Sinoma International Engineering summed it up in its annual report for 2025 by saying that the full-line EPC market is concentrated in ‘Belt and Road’ countries in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, while the market for technical upgrades is concentrated in the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America and Asia. It cited research by Zheng Lue Consulting that placed the value of the market for cement engineering outside of China at US$4.8bn/yr from 2026 to 2030 and just under US$1bn/yr domestically in China. With cement production having peaked in China in the 2010s, the country is now very much in the upgrade and services market. CNBM said in its 2025 annual report that its engineering and services segment, including Sinoma International Engineering, had 74 cement production lines under operation and maintenance service contracts and 326 mines.

ThyssenKrupp Polysius has followed the prevailing trends for the cement equipment market by splitting itself into a sustainability equipment company and a services-retrofit company. The next option might be to launch a digital wing, but this is probably built into both of the other sections already. It is notable that Calvion started with 40 employees but Solutions started with 180 employees. It’s a crude measure but it suggests that more money lies in servicing and retrofitting than sustainability at present. Fives confirmed some of this in its 2026 annual report when it blamed falling order intake in the cement sector, “…where efforts to reduce carbon footprint have taken a back seat in Europe (for budget reasons) and the US (for political reasons).” Building new cement production lines will become rarer in the future so keeping existing ones running is increasingly where the action is.  


UK: Breedon Group has appointed James Brotherton as CEO with effect from the start of 2027. He will succeed Rob Wood in the role, who has decided to retire. Wood will remain an employee of the group until the expiry of his notice period on 30 September 2027.

Brotherton has been the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Breedon since 2021. Previously he was CFO of Tyman between 2010 and 2019, prior to which he was Director of Corporate Development. Earlier in his career, James worked in investment banking roles at Citi and HSBC, after qualifying as a chartered accountant at Ernst & Young. He is a graduate of Loughborough University.


Egypt: Holcim Egypt has appointed Medhat Ismail as CEO.

Ismail has worked for Holcim and related companies since 2007 when he started as Production Team Leader for Lafarge Emirates Cement. He later became Group Audit Manager for LafargeHolcim Group in the mid-2010s, GCC Sourcing & Procurement Director in 2016 in UAE, Head of Geocycle UAE in 2020, Head of Geocycle – Middle East & Africa Region in 2021, Country Industrial Director - Lafarge Iraq in 2022, Country CEO Lafarge Tanzania in 2023 and Country CEO Lafarge Iraq in 2024. Earlier in his career he held roles with Orascom Construction Industries and ASEC Cement. Ismail holds an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Helwan University.


Iraq: Lafarge Iraq has appointed Tarek Sharobime as CEO. He succeeds Medhat Ismail in the role.

Sharobime has worked for Holcim since 2007 when he started as a Production Engineer at Holcim UAE. He later became Process Manager at Holcim UAE in 2015, Process & Production Manager - North West Africa Cluster at LafargeHolcim in 2017 and joined Holcim Egypt as Production Director in 2020. He has held the role of Supply Chain Director - ExCO Member since 2023. Sharobime holds an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Cairo University.


UAE: RIGA has appointed Hamed Naama as Group Technical Director. He previously worked as Maintenance Manager for Suez Cement in the 2010s and then became vice chair of Arab Fertilisers and Chemicals Company in 2021. He is a graduate of Alexandria University.


Oman/Somalia: Raysut Cement has renewed its distribution agreement with Barwaaqo Cement in Somalia, for an estimated value of US$49m. The agreement is reportedly expected to contribute to improved production capacity and increased financial returns. It is valid from 15 September 2026 to 14 September 2027. The two companies signed a similar agreement on 9 November 2025, which was valid until 14 September 2026.


Senegal: RIGA has announced the completion of a Loesche cement mill upgrade at one of Dangote Cement’s plants in Senegal. The project involved a comprehensive mechanical and hydraulic upgrade, including complete replacement of three S-Rollers, replacement of three master roller tyres; mill liners; dam ring and central plate, manufacture and installation of a complete hydraulic system for the S-Rollers and an installation of new hydraulic lines and piping. RIGA said that the project required detailed planning, heavy mechanical works, precision installation, hydraulic system integration and close coordination with the plant team to ensure safe and efficient execution.


India: JSW Cement has commissioned an additional 1Mt/yr of cement grinding capacity at its Nagaur plant in Rajasthan, taking the facility’s total grinding capacity to 3.5Mt/yr. JSW’s total grinding capacity is now 25.1Mt/yr. JSW Cement reportedly plans to build a larger presence in north India, where cement demand has been supported by new infrastructure and government capital expenditure.


Kyrgyzstan: 3.5Mt of cement was produced in Kyrgyzstan from January to August 2026, which represents an increase of 34% year-on-year, or 0.89Mt. 2.6Mt of cement was produced in January to August 2025. Cement production reached 0.5Mt in August 2026, an increase of 16% compared to August 2025, when it was 0.46Mt. The monthly volume of cement production increased by 72,500t year-on-year.


UK: Reclinker, a Wales-based company that turns demolition waste into low-carbon cement, has secured €11m in funding to take its process from trial through to full commercial production. The new funding will scale production at the company’s facility in Cardiff and create new jobs. The technology has been proven through trials at 7 Steel UK’s Cardiff plant, with first commercial sales already secured. Reclinker’s process was developed at the University of Cambridge. It recovers cement paste from construction demolition waste and turns it back into clinker inside the electric arc furnaces already used to recycle steel, producing new cement and recycled steel simultaneously. The process requires no kiln, no quarried limestone and no fossil-fuel-driven heat. The material produced is expected to deliver an ‘immediate’ 50% reduction in emissions, with further reductions as the technology scales. The company said it will be at cost parity with conventional cement.

Bill Yost, CEO of Reclinker, said “We are thrilled to have received backing from both our existing and incoming investors. This oversubscribed round sends a strong signal that UK investors are serious about decarbonisation. We are particularly glad this investment will support the growth of green industries in Wales.”


Vietnam: Hoang Long Group has started operations on a new production line at a US$190m cement plant in Vietnam’s northern province of Phu Tho, according to local press.

The 35-hectare Hoang Long Hoa Binh Cement plant in Cao Duong commune includes a 30,000m² raw material warehouse and about 15,000t of installed equipment. The plant is designed to produce about 2.3Mt/yr of cement. The plant also has a 170,000t integrated silo system to support stable product supply and quality.


Vietnam: The country produced an estimated 89.5Mt of cement in the first nine months of 2026, up by 10% year-on-year, according to the National Statistics Office. In September 2026, the country’s cement production reached 10.4Mt, up by 1% month-on-month and 12% year-on-year.


Morocco: Cement deliveries in Morocco amounted to 1.46Mt in September 2026, compared to 1.22Mt in the same period of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 19%, according to data published by the Ministry of National Territorial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and Urban Policy. Deliveries from January to the end of September 2026 amounted to 11Mt, compared to 10.9Mt at the end of September 2025, representing an increase of 1%. The data is based on internal data from members of the Professional Association of Cement Manufacturers (APC).


Syria: Türkiye-based Çimko, which operates under SANKO Holding, is investing approximately US$200m in an integrated cement plant in Aleppo. The project will have a clinker production capacity of 1.5Mt/yr and a cement production capacity of 2Mt/yr. The plant will be developed under a Build-Operate-Transfer model.

The plant will be established in the Al-Muslimiyah area, located in the industrial zone north of Aleppo and close to limestone deposits and major transportation corridors. The project aims to meet the region’s cement demand through local production. The project is planned to be implemented in two main phases, with the plant ultimately reaching a production capacity of 1.5Mt/yr of clinker and 2Mt/yr of cement.

A protocol between Adil Sani Konukoğlu, chair of the board of SANKO Holding and Çimko, and Mahmud Fadile, general manager of the Syrian Cement and Building Materials Production and Marketing Company (OMRAN), was officially signed at a ceremony held in Aleppo on 1 October 2026. The ceremony was attended by Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Mohammed Nidal al-Shaar, Turkish Ambassador to Syria Dr Nuh Yılmaz, Mohammad Hazim Lutfi, Head of the Aleppo Office of the Syrian Investment Authority, and Aleppo Governor Azzam Al-Gharib.


Honduras: The new ‘Technical Regulations’ applicable to cement sold domestically will come into effect on 6 October 2026 the Secretariat of Economic Development (SDE) has reported. The regulations establish technical, registration, certification, labelling, storage and marketing requirements for products distributed in the local market. According to the SDE, the regulation seeks to establish clear technical rules and conditions equal for producers and importers, with the aim of ensuring that companies compete under the same standards and quality requirements. Once the new rules start, cement that does not have the corresponding registration cannot be imported or marketed in Honduras, including the product in transit.

Eddy Ordóñez, the Minister of Economic Development, said “In Honduras, the market is not closed; the door is closed to cement without a guarantee.” He said that the regulation does not establish differences according to the country of origin of the product but requires that all cement marketed in the national territory comply with the established technical requirements. The Secretariat indicated that the application of the standards will allow for the regulation of marketing conditions and will give producers, importers, distributors and marketers clarity on the rules they must comply with. Consumers, in turn, will be able to access information about the type of cement, its registration and the date of manufacture.

As part of the implementation of the regulations, the SDE has granted 15 registrations corresponding to different products from three companies: Argos Honduras; Cementos del Norte (CENOSA); and Inversiones Cementeras de Centroamérica (Duracem). The registrations are valid for five years.


Colombia: National statistics agency DANE reported domestic cement dispatches of 1.1Mt for August 2026, up by 3% year-on-year from August 2025. Production fell by 2% in August 2026, to 1.23Mt, after a 4.5% drop in July 2026. Despatches from January to August 2026 rose by 4.1% year-on-year to 8.69Mt, while production rose by 2% to 9.33Mt.

July had been the first month of 2026 in which both production and despatches fell. Demand for building materials recovered after a weak July, led by sales through distributors and hardware stores. Bulk deliveries to builders and contractors remain down in 2026. DANE said that it imputed part of the production data for August 2026 after late reports. September 2026 data will show whether the rebound holds.

By region, the strongest growth came from the Caribbean coast. Deliveries to Bolívar rose by 25% and by 15% to Atlántico. Bulk deliveries to builders and contractors fell by 14% between January and August 2026, DANE said. Bulk shipments to the greater Bogotá area - which includes Soacha, Funza, Chía and Mosquera - were down by 10% over the same period.

Bagged cement, however, grew by 6% in the eight months. All 2026 figures are provisional and can be revised for two years.


Pakistan: Domestic cement despatches registered an increase of 7% in September 2026, reaching 3.78Mt compared to 3.52Mt in the corresponding month of the previous year.

According to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association, however, exports were flat at 0.83Mt. Total cement despatches during September 2026 were 4.62Mt against 4.36Mt despatched during the same month of the last year, showing an increase of 6% year-on-year.

During the first quarter of the current financial year, which began in July 2026, total cement despatches were 13.1Mt, 4% higher year-on-year than the 12.6Mt despatched during the corresponding period of last year. Domestic despatches during this period were 10.8Mt, showing an increase of 8%. Exports were 2.3Mt, down by 11%.

A spokesman of the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association expressed ‘concerns’ over the decline in exports and the continued instability in energy prices. He was ‘optimistic’ that the geopolitical tensions will be resolved soon, enabling cement and allied industries to come out of this ‘difficult situation,’ according to The Business Recorder.


India: Shiva Cement will merge with JSW Cement, part of JSW Group, in a move that will create a ‘single unified cement platform’ and unlock operational, financial and management synergies, according to The Economic Times. Shiva Cement is currently a listed subsidiary of JSW Cement. As per the scheme, JSW Cement will issue five equity shares of face value US$0.10 for every 41 equity shares of face value US$0.02 held in Shiva Cement to the shareholders of Shiva Cement.

The scheme is subject to receipt of requisite approvals from the stock exchanges, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), and other statutory and regulatory authorities, including shareholders and creditors. JSW Cement currently holds a 66.23% share in Shiva Cement. The company has a cement grinding capacity of 24.1Mt/yr. The transaction is expected to be completed within 12‐14 months.


Kenya: Bamburi Cement is seeking a contract to supply more than 1Mt/yr of cement and concrete products for Dangote’s planned petroleum refinery in Lamu. Bamburi’s Mombasa plant is expected to support deliveries to the project site. It said that the civil and related construction works for the refinery are expected to consume about 1Mt/yr of cement products. Bamburi is expected to provide its DuraCem 42.5-grade cement for large-scale and marine construction works associated with the refinery.


Armenia: The temporary ban on cement imports to Armenia will be lifted, according to a decision made at a government meeting on 1 October 2026. The restriction was originally imposed for six months, from 23 July 2026 to 23 January 2027. At the same time, cement imports were regulated by licensing and a state duty of US$22/t. The government said that due to logistical problems, cement imports have become more expensive, and delivery times have increased. The current restrictions have reportedly affected the balance of supply and demand and created an ‘unequal playing field’ for product sales. The government hopes that lifting the ban will help balance the market and ensure the necessary supplies.


US: Ash Grove Cement’s Seattle plant will not be allowed to burn more tyres as alternative fuel. The news comes years after the company applied for a permit from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency to burn more tyres in its kiln, according to The Seattle Times. Ash Grove was required to conduct an emissions test as part of its permit to address concerns from nearby residents about emissions, according to regulatory documents. Ash Grove conducted the tests in June and August 2026, which reportedly showed that emissions of cadmium increased after more tyres were burnt, leading to the decision. Prior to the results of the emissions test, over 500 community members and 30 local businesses signed a campaign led by the advocacy group Duwamish River Community Coalition, which opposed the burning of more tyres.

In a statement, Ash Grove spokesperson Carolina Lucaroni said that the facility will comply with its permit obligations and is committed to ‘operating in full compliance with regulatory requirements.’ “We appreciate the collaborative review process and will continue exploring opportunities to advance our sustainability objectives while meeting environmental and community expectations,” Lucaroni said.

“The power of community won out in this situation where we asked for proper testing, the agency added it and as a result our lived experience … rang true,” said Mia Ayala-Marshall, a clean air program manager with the coalition.


Cyprus: Cyprus Cement saw its profit for the first half of 2026 rise from €4.6m to €5.4m, driven largely by a stronger contribution from Vassiliko Cement Works, according to the company’s latest financial results. The company reported income of €207,000 for the period, up from €193,000 in 2025. Cyprus Cement said its full-year results could fluctuate, with prevailing market uncertainties making a forecast difficult to predict.


Malaysia: Cement Industries (Sabah) is investing US$29m to establish a second production line at its Telu Sepanggar plant, in an effort to increase cement production capacity and reliability of cement supply throughout Sabah. The line is presumed to be a grinding line, due to the small investment. According to general manager Sumardi Mohd Yusuf, the line will boost the company’s production capacity by 0.55Mt is and projected to come online by the end of 2028. The project has secured approval from the company’s board of directors, and an engineering consulting firm has been appointed for the project.

Yusuf said that the Sabah’s West Coast region is currently experiencing disruptions due to delayed clinker shipments, resulting from a vessel carrying 20,000t of clinker that ran aground near Tanjung Port, South Kalimantan. Yusuf said that a replacement clinker shipment was expected to arrive during the second week of October 2026.


India: Adani Group plans to invest more than US$26m in a 5Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Kharagpur, West Bengal. The project is spread across 80 hectares and has received approval from the state industry department and is currently awaiting cabinet clearance. Once approved, construction is expected to begin, with commissioning planned within the ‘next few years.’ It was initially proposed by ACC in 2012, but the land was later returned to the state government after development failed to commence within the stipulated period. Adani Group revived the proposal in 2023 after its acquisition of ACC.


Singapore/Türkiye: Singapore-based clean energy startup SunGreen said it has completed its first 1MW anion exchange membrane (AEM) hydrogen electrolyser partnership with Turkish cement producer Limak Cement after six months of real-world testing. The project brought the company’s nanostructured electrode technology from single-cell performance to industrial-scale multi-cell stacks. SunGreen was involved as a technology partner, while Limak contributed engineering expertise. Testing took place between March and August 2026 and demonstrated low-cost hydrogen production, according to SunGreen.


Armenia: Cement was available in only two building supply stores in Yerevan on 30 September 2026, according to Arme News. One of these stores is supplied by Ararat Cement, which partially resumed deliveries on 29 September 2026 after being suspended more than two weeks previously. The owner of another building supply store imports cement from Iran, deliveries of which have reportedly been ‘problematic,’ with hundreds of trucks carrying cement stuck at the border crossing between Iran and Armenia. Other local business owners have blamed Iranian suppliers for the shortage. Armenia’s ambassador to Iran reportedly met recently with Iranian vice president Hamid Pourmohammadi to discuss the ‘obstacles’ to the flow of goods between the two countries and how to ‘overcome’ them.


US: Pakistan-based DG Khan Cement despatched 43,000t of low-alkali cement from his Hub cement plant to Houston, US, on 29 September 2026. DG Khan said via social media that it was a pioneer of Pakistani cement exports to the US, beginning in 2022, and it thanked its logistics partners for the ‘timely and efficient’ execution of the despatch.