Europe
Carbon Capture Moves to Center Stage in Cement Decarbonization
Carbon capture is moving from demonstration to commercial deployment as the cement industry seeks to address unavoidable CO₂ emissions from limestone calcination, with Heidelberg Materials’ Brevik plant capturing around 400,000 tonnes annually and its planned Padeswood facility targeting 800,000 tons, while Holcim is testing multiple technologies and targeting 1.1m tonnes of annual capture at its GO4ZERO project in Belgium. However, significant cost, transport, and storage challenges remain, with planned cement CCS facilities expected to capture less than 2% of global sector emissions by 2035, underscoring the need for substantial infrastructure investment alongside clinker reduction, alternative fuels, and other decarbonization measures.
Source: Carbon Herald
NCC Agrees Sale of Nordic Aggregates and Asphalt Business to Heidelberg
NCC – has agreed to sell its Nordic aggregates and asphalt business to Heidelberg Materials and CRH for SEK8.2bn (£617m), with Heidelberg Materials acquiring operations in Sweden and Norway for approximately SEK5.5bn (£414m), and CRH acquiring operations in Denmark and Finland. The divestment, expected to generate approximately SEK7bn (£527m) in positive cash flow, will allow NCC to focus on its contracting operations, with completion anticipated in the second half of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals. Link
Source: Agg-Net
Reclinker Raises £10m to Commercialise Recycled Cement
Reclinker has raised £10m in an oversubscribed Series A round to scale commercial production in Cardiff of its technology, which converts cement paste recovered from demolition waste into new clinker using electric arc furnaces, with the resulting cementitious slag expected to cut emissions by 50% at cost parity with conventional cement. The funding, co-led by Clean Growth Fund and AP Ventures, will also support expansion to additional electric arc furnace sites in Europe and the US, following successful production of thousands of tonnes and Reclinker’s first commercial sales.
Source: Aggregates Business
Chryso and Ecocem Launch Low-Carbon Cement and Admixture Solution
Saint-Gobain’s Chryso and Ecocem have launched a low-carbon cement and admixture solution combining Ecocem ACT technology, which can cut cement carbon emissions by up to 70%, with Chryso’s new EnviroMix 3150 ACT superplasticizer. The combination can reduce the carbon footprint of concrete mixes by more than 50% and is already being used in the refurbishment of the former John Lewis headquarters in London, where nearly 1,300 m³ of low-carbon concrete is expected to be poured by year-end.
Source: The Construction Index
Cement Sales in Gran Canaria Plunge 30% in August
Gran Canaria’s cement market has recorded a 30.07% year-on-year decline in cement sales to 13,851.3 tonnes in August 2026, significantly exceeding the 24% contraction across the Canary Islands, where sales fell to 44,781.6 tonnes. The downturn follows stronger demand earlier in the year and reflects slowing residential, tourism and infrastructure construction activity, raising concerns over the outlook for local cement producers, including Ceisa, although the article does not disclose company-specific sales figures.
Source: Maspalomas
Asia
Cement Outlook Positive Despite Margin Pressure
Axis Securities expects covered cement companies to report 10% year-on-year volume growth and 8% revenue growth in Q2 FY27, supported by government infrastructure spending, rural housing demand and public capital expenditure. The brokerage forecasts EBITDA to decline 4% and profit after tax to fall 35% from a year earlier as elevated fuel, freight and other input costs pressure operating margins despite higher dispatches. Recent cement price increases must remain sustainable for producers to recover margins during the quarter, Axis said. Demand is being supported by public-sector construction activity, including roads, housing and other infrastructure projects, while rural consumption provides additional volume support for regional producers. Axis retains a positive medium- to long-term outlook for the sector, citing structural demand growth, industry consolidation and capacity additions by larger players. It also identifies cost-efficiency investments, including green energy, domestic coal sourcing and waste-heat recovery systems, as key levers for reducing energy expenses and improving profitability after Q2 FY27.
Source: NDTV Profit
TCMA, FTI Advance Saraburi Transformation
The Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA) and the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) are expanding their collaboration around the Saraburi Sandbox, using lessons from the cement industry’s decarbonization efforts to support Thailand’s broader industrial transformation and Net Zero 2050 goal. The initiative covers low-carbon cement, alternative fuels, renewable energy, waste heat recovery, CCUS technologies, sustainable raw material management, and green procurement, while TCMA and FTI also plan to develop policy recommendations addressing energy, infrastructure, technology, standards, regulations, and other conditions needed to encourage investment and industrial adaptation.
Source: Bangkok Post
JSW Cement Expands North Indian Production Capacity with New 1 MTPA Grinding Unit
JSW Cement has commissioned an additional 1 MTPA cement grinding unit at its Nagaur plant in Rajasthan, increasing the site’s grinding capacity to 3.5 MTPA and the company’s total installed grinding capacity to 25.1 MTPA. The company has also commissioned an alternative fuel handling system and waste heat recovery system at the plant, which are expected to reduce production costs and support its expansion across North India.
Source: PIM
North America
Brimstone Combines Cleaner Cement And Critical Minerals
Brimstone is developing a single industrial process designed to produce lower-emissions cement and critical minerals from the same rocks at one plant. The approach targets two US supply-chain challenges: cutting the emissions associated with cement production and expanding domestic output of minerals considered economically important. Its process relies on alternative rock feedstocks rather than treating conventional cement production and mineral extraction as separate operations. Brimstone must now demonstrate that the integrated method can operate economically and reliably at industrial scale while delivering cement that meets market requirements. Successful commercialisation would allow one facility to supply construction materials and recover critical minerals without establishing two independent production chains.
Source: MIT Technology Review
Cemex to Cut at Least 70 Jobs at Colorado Cement Plant
Cemex has announced plans to lay off at least 70 employees at its Lyons cement plant in Colorado from 21 November 2026, representing more than half of its reported workforce of 112. The company has confirmed that cement sales and distribution will continue, but has not clarified the future of its kiln operations, which have faced longstanding environmental and regulatory scrutiny.
Source: The Colorado Sun
Middle East
Lafarge Iraq Appoints Tarek Sharobime CEO
Lafarge Iraq has appointed Tarek Sharobime as chief executive, succeeding Medhat Ismail and placing him in charge of the building-materials producer’s expansion in Iraq. Sharobime will lead efforts to strengthen the company’s market position and meet demand from housing, commercial construction, infrastructure and other major development projects across Iraq. His remit includes overseeing Lafarge Iraq’s cement, concrete and dry-mortar operations serving residential, commercial and infrastructure customers.
Source: Iraqi News
Holcim UAE and 44.01 Commission Cement Carbon Capture and Mineralisation Pilot
Holcim UAE and 44.01 have officially commissioned the UAE’s first live-condition carbon capture and underground mineralisation pilot for the cement industry at Holcim’s Emirates Cement Plant in Fujairah. Operating since July 2026, the facility captures 4 to 4.5 tonnes of CO₂ per day from cement production and injects it into local ultramafic rock formations, where it permanently mineralises, providing a potential model for scaling industrial decarbonization across the UAE and wider GCC.
Source: Zawya
Qassim Cement Receives Regulatory Clearance for Amix Acquisition
Qassim Cement has received no-objection clearance from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Competition for its acquisition of 100% of Amix for Ready Mix Concrete, following the signing of a share sale and purchase agreement in September 2026.
Source: Maaal
Cimko to Invest $200m in New Syrian Cement Plant to Support Reconstruction
Cimko has signed a $200m agreement to develop an integrated cement plant near Aleppo, Syria, in partnership with state-owned OMRAN under a build-operate-transfer arrangement. The facility will be developed in two phases, with planned annual production capacity of 2m tonnes of cement and 1.5m tonnes of clinker, and is expected to create approximately 200 direct jobs while supporting Syria’s post-conflict reconstruction.
Source: IntelliNews
Caribbean
Carib Cement Cuts Water Withdrawals
Caribbean Cement Company has reduced water withdrawals by 16% in the year to August 2026, driven by operational efficiencies from its $6.7bn Debottleneck Project, which modernised its kiln and increased production capacity. The company, which is targeting net-zero CO₂ emissions over the long term, expects further water savings from a cooling-tower project designed to increase water recirculation and improve cooling efficiency.
Source: Jamaica Gleaner