Tanzania: Tanzania Railways Corporation has announced plans to build a 1000km railway across the south of the country, between Lake Nyasa and the Indian Ocean. Business News Africa has reported that the railway will serve Dangote Cement’s local operations, as well as businesses in other industries. The project will cost US$5.6bn, of which Tanzania Railways Corporation has already secured US$2.2bn in potential private investments.

UAE: Germany-based ThyssenKrupp Decarbon Technologies says that it has won a new contract with Fujairah Cement Industries. Under the contract, the supplier will carry out an upgrade at the Dibba cement plant to reduce its CO₂ emissions.

Kenya: East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) has announced plans to build a new clinker plant in Kajaido. The Nation newspaper has reported that it will cost US$200m to build. EAPCC plans to use local pozzolana, along with limestone and coral transported from Kenya’s Coast Province, in cement production at the plant. The producer says that it will clarify the timeframes of the project in 2024.

UAE: Holcim has launched and become a founding member of the SMI Circularity Task Force in collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) and others. The SMI Circularity Taskforce aims to accelerate the development of the global circular economy, in complement to Holcim’s goal of recycling 10Mt of construction-demolition materials (CDM) by 2025, and 20Mt in Europe alone by 2030. Holcim and its partners launched the task force at the COP28 climate conference in the UAE on 4 December 2023.

Holcim chair and chief executive officer Jan Jenisch said "With our world’s rising population and urbanisation, we need to build better with less to raise living standards for all while preserving nature. Circularity is a gamechanger to make this happen at scale. At Holcim we are driving circular construction across all metropolitan areas where we operate to build cities from cities, recycling CDM into new building solutions. I am excited to be joining like-minded organisations to accelerate the shift to a more circular future together."