India: Penna Cement Industries, a subsidiary of Ambuja Cements, has commissioned a 2Mt/yr brownfield expansion of its cement grinding unit in Krishnapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. With this commissioning, Ambuja Cement’s consolidated cement capacity has risen to 106.45Mt/yr.
Cruz Azul begins construction of new cement plant in Seybaplaya
Mexico: The government of Campeche and directors of La Cruz Azul Cooperativa have officially launched the construction of the company’s new 1.0Mt/yr cement plant in Seybaplaya, Campeche. This will be the company’s fifth cement plant.
Gustavo Cruz Vega, director of new projects, said the plant will be “a modern automated facility, with 432 vibration measurement points, 600 temperature and vibration sensors, digital management and 100% advanced artificial intelligence, in addition to being able to generate clean energy and use alternative fuels.” He added that the plant’s systems will ‘guarantee zero dust emissions’ and low levels of pollutants.
He Xiaolong, vice president of China National Materials Group Corporation (SINOMA) and president of China National Building Material Group (CNBM) and Equipment Group (TCDRI), said this will be the first smart production line the consortium has built outside China, with 90% of the equipment designed and manufactured by its own engineering teams.
MoU between Southern Province Cement and Yanbu Cement expires
Saudi Arabia: Southern Province Cement announced that its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Yanbu Cement, aimed at assessing the feasibility of a potential merger, has expired without conclusion. The MoU was first signed in June 2024 and extended in June 2025 for an additional three months. That extension lapsed on 22 September 2025, Southern Province Cement said in a filing to the Saudi Stock Exchange.
Mannok completes kiln repair during planned shutdown
Ireland/UK: Mannok has completed a critical kiln repair at its cement plant during a scheduled maintenance shutdown, replacing the heavy shell section and drive tyre at Kiln pier 2.
The work addressed cracking in the shell section and realigned the kiln tyre, which posed a risk of operational disruption or failure if left unattended.
The project was carried out in collaboration with FLSmidth as the main contractor, Portuguese specialists Simetrexial and Mannok’s in-house team. Automated gas-cutting equipment was used to remove the damaged shell section, and a 100t lift plan was executed with the aid of a 700t crane. The new section was positioned and secured using sub-arc welding. The project was completed in 27 days without delays or complications, according to the producer.
