Ukraine: Kovalska will launch its upcoming Rozvadiv concrete products plant in Lviv in June 2025, Delo News has reported. The plant will replace the company’s Nova Kakhovka plant on the Russian-occupied left bank of the River Dnieper in Kherson. It will produce aerated concrete blocks and U-blocks, concrete panels and reinforced concrete products for the Western Ukrainian market and for export. Netherlands-based Aircrete Europe is supplying some production equipment for the facility. The project has funding from the Dutch Good Growth Fund.

Director Igor Subotenko said that, after commissioning the plant at full capacity, Kovalska will immediately begin construction of another one adjacent to it. Eventual investments will reach €100m, of which Kovalska has already spent €50m.

Egypt: 3S Ready Mix Concrete is ‘exploring opportunities to develop’ its own ready-mix concrete plants as part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the supply of concrete for the construction of Matruh Governorate’s upcoming US$35bn Ras el-Hekma industrial hub. Emirates News Agency has reported that construction of the hub is proceeding under a joint venture of ElSewedy Industrial Development and UAE-based property developer Modon. It will create an anticipated 20,000 new jobs by 2035.

India: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has ordered the closure of 18 ready-mix concrete batching plants in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune due to breaches of environmental regulations. Local press has reported that both commercial and on-site plants had violated rules on air pollution, including through the illegal use of diesel motors, and the discharge of contaminated water. A further four plants received penalties for minor breaches. The action followed local complaints about dust emissions.

A representative of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Assoications of India said that the “A complete shutdown of ready-mix concrete plants will affect on-going construction projects and increase costs.” They added that on-site plants help building sites to reduce their overall emissions.

UK: England Notional Building Material Group Holding Group (ENBMGHG) has launched its new CEggMent binder for concrete. The binder is capable of replacing up to 100% of cement and aggregates in concrete. It is available in individual ovoid packages, which can be dropped into the concrete mixer. They consist of a calciferous ‘shell’ that breaks into hard shards and a fluid centre that allows CEggMent to fill any space into which it is poured.

ENBMGHG has launched the ConWheat range of additives to aid the forming and setting of CEggMent, including ConEmmer, ConSpelt and EinCon. All ConWheat additives are available as bagged powders, ground to a fineness of 900cm²/g ‘Grade 2’ to 1800cm²/g ‘Double-Zero.’

ENBMGHG says that CEggMent is available to order across England in multiples of six or for collection with payment by means of ‘honesty box’ in rural areas.