Global Cement News

Malaysia: Masiung Banah, the chair of Borneo Cement, has said that no forest clearance is taking place at the site of a proposed integrated cement plant in Tongod region. He explained that logging had taken place at the site before the project was proposed, according to the Star newspaper. The company added that it holds Environmental Impact Assessment approval to build a quarry and connecting road. It made a statement on the issue in response to the issue being raised by the Warisan Party at the Sabah state assembly in late November 2024.

Borneo Cement is a joint-venture between the Sabah state government and China-based Sinoma Industry. It plans to invest around US$270m in the project. Commissioning is scheduled from early 2026.

India: The cement sector in India is forecast to reach a market size of 509Mt/yr by the 2029 financial year. A report published by Infomerics Ratings made the prediction based on a market size of 382Mt in the 2023 financial year and a compound annual growth rate of 4.9%. The credit agency noted the cement sector’s mean growth rate of 5.37% over the last decade and the low cement consumption per capita compared to the global average. It also pointed out that the local cement sector “…faced significant pricing challenges, primarily due to weak demand across various regions.” Demand was reportedly low during the first half of the 2025 financial year leading to lower prices particularly in the south of the country.

Thailand/UK: Thailand-based Siam Cement Thung Song has joined the World Cement Association as a corporate member. The cement producer is a subsidiary of Siam Cement Group that operates an integrated plant in the south of the country.

India/US: Shares in Gautam Adani-led conglomerates fell by 20% on 21 November 2024 after prosecutors in the US filed bribery charges against Adani and his associates. They allege a US$250m payoff to Indian officials to secure solar power contracts. Adani, along with seven co-defendants, including his nephew Sagar Adani, is accused of paying the bribes to secure contracts for what would become India's largest solar power project, projected to generate US$2bn in profits over the next 20 years.

The companies affected in the share fall included the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), which holds stakes in seven Adani companies, including ACC and Ambuja Cement, as well as Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports, Adani Green Energy, Adani Energy Solutions and Adani Total Gas.

Adani Group has denied the allegations, calling them ‘baseless.’

UK: Cemex UK has announced that it will begin to use hydrogen on an industrial scale at its Rugby cement plant in Warwickshire. It will do so via HiiROC, a UK-based start-up that has received backing from Cemex Ventures. HiiROC produces carbon-neutral hydrogen using its proprietary Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE) process, which requires just 20% of the electrical energy used in water electrolysis and captures carbon as a solid byproduct, avoiding CO₂ emissions. HiiROC’s modular solution can be deployed as single units to full-scale industrial plants. The hydrogen produced can be used as an alternative energy source to fuel clinker production processes, helping Cemex to achieve its decarbonisation goals.

"Our investment in this innovative project alongside HiiROC reinforces Cemex's commitment to transform the industry by working hand in hand with disruptive startups and new technologies," said Gonzalo Galindo, the head of Cemex Ventures. "Hydrogen as an alternative energy source has the ability to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions in our operations, aligning with our 2050 goal of becoming a net-zero CO₂ company and a leader in the industrial use of hydrogen."