Global Cement News

Global: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has launched the Low Carbon Ratings (LCR) system for cement and concrete, a new global rating based on products' carbon footprints. The system uses a clear AA to G scale to help customers prioritise sustainability in material selection across construction sectors worldwide.

The GCCA says that the LCR system is designed to be easily recognisable, with a simple visual graphic that indicates a product’s rating and provides consistency and comparability to other products. Countries will be able to adapt the system according to local standards.

Belarus: Belarusian Cement enterprises produced 5.34Mt of cement in 2024, up by 7% year-on-year, with shipments rising by 10% and total sales to domestic and foreign markets by 6.5%.

The holding company’s three plants, OJSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy, Belarusian Cement Plant and OJSC Krichevcementnoshifer, accounted for 86.5% of domestic cement sales in the first quarter of 2025. The group also exports to Russia, supplying up to 10% of demand in the Central and Northwestern Federal Districts. It plans to increase market share further by modernising its production lines.

Nepal: Udayapur Cement Industry resumed operations on 24 April 2025, despite ongoing legal disputes and internal administrative obstructions, according to acting general manager Mahesh Sah. The plant ceased all activities in late November 2024. It began kiln firing at 10:40am local time and expected clinker production to begin after eight hours of machine operation.

The plant aims to produce approximately 400t/day of clinker. Coal and dinepalesel stocks are expected to last 12 days. Sah noted that coordination has been made with the Nepal Electricity Authority, which has assured uninterrupted power supply despite outstanding dues. Udayapur Cement, a fully state-owned enterprise, has a daily production capacity of 800t/day.

Pakistan: The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) has appealed to the Competition Appellate Tribunal to annul a US$22.6m penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) over alleged collusion and price fixing.

APCMA’s counsel argued that the sector operates competitively with price variation, and that the CCP failed to properly analyse the industry geography. He said a 2003 quota-sharing agreement had expired before the CCP ruling and challenged office raids as unfounded.

The tribunal has adjourned the case to 22 May 2025, when defence lawyers will present arguments. The CCP previously fined the APCMA and its member companies in 2009 after alleging market collusion.

Mexico: Cemex has executed an investment agreement with Spain-based AI and analytics company Optimitive through its corporate venture capital arm Cemex Ventures. The company seeks to scale Optimitive’s solution across its operations as part of its Digital Innovation in Motion programme. It aims to significantly reduce energy consumption while increasing production efficiency by ‘double-digit percentage points’, according to a press release.

Alfredo Carrato, investment and open innovation advisor at Cemex Ventures, said “We are excited about this partnership with Optimitive, given the impressive results they have already achieved in Europe and the US in projects to date with Cemex.”