US: Mexico-based GCC has concluded two bank loan agreements totalling US$135m to fund the expansion of its cement plant in Odessa, Texas. The loans have five- and ten-year maturities respectively, and will support development at the site. GCC did not provide further details in its statement.

It said “These facilities reflect GCC's continued commitment to strengthen its operating and financial performance, while increasing the company's financial flexibility.”

In addition to the Odessa plant, the producer has cement plants in Rapid City, South Dakota; Trident, Montana; Tijeras, New Mexico; and Pueblo, Colorado.

Colombia: National grey cement production fell by 4% year-on-year to 1.05Mt in February 2025. Domestic shipments declined by 7% to 0.97Mt in the same month. In the first two months of 2025, total production dropped by 5% to 1.99Mt and domestic shipments also fell by 5% to 1.83Mt.

Türkiye: TSKB (Industrial Development Bank of Türkiye) has signed a €75m investment loan agreement with Oyak Cement to fund renewable energy and waste heat recovery (WHR) projects. The funding will support the construction of a 115MW solar power plant in Beypazarı, Ankara, and waste heat recovery facilities at the Ankara, Adana and Mardin cement plants.

Oyak Cement general manager Murat Sela said “We have accelerated our investments for the Beypazarı solar power plant, as well as the WHR facility investments with a total installed capacity of 13.5 MW at our Adana, Ankara and Mardin plants. We expect these investments to help generate 237,000MW/yr of energy, while increasing the total renewable energy utilisation rate at our plants from 9% to 30%.”

Malaysia: The state government of Sabah has denied rumours that an investor has departed from the Tongod cement plant project. Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe told the Sabah State Legislative Assembly that Borneo Cement had confirmed that all parties involved in the project remain committed, according to the Star newspaper. He added that the project had received approval for earthworks but that construction work was waiting for the approval from an Environmental Impact Assessment report.

China-based Sinoma Industrial Engineering is preparing to build the 1.75Mt/yr plant. Two-thirds of the unit’s output is intended for the local market in Sabah. The rest will be exported. Ground-breaking work at the site was previously reported in April 2024. However, Borneo Cement subsequently faced accusations of unauthorised forest clearances later in the year.