France: Vicat and Derichebourg Environnement will launch a new project through their jointly owned company VALèreCO dedicated to the production and energy recovery of solid recovered fuel (SRF). Derichebourg Environnement’s subsidiary Purfer produces alternative fuels for Vicat’s Montalieu-Vercieu cement plant.

The project involves the construction of an SRF production unit in Pagny-sur-Meuse at a cost of nearly €7m. The facility will produce 34,000t/yr of SRF (40,000t/yr at full capacity) to supply Vicat’s Xeuilley cement plant, which produces low-carbon cement. The project will reportedly avoid 30,000t/yr of CO₂ emissions by replacing fossil fuels. Vicat said that the project supports the companies’ ambitions to accelerate industrial decarbonisation and transform non-recyclable waste into alternative energy resources that can replace fossil fuels. The SRF will be produced less than 50km from where it is consumed, reducing emissions from transportation.

Germany: Holcim has entered into an agreement to acquire European walling and flooring manufacturer Fermacell from James Hardie Industries. Fermacell produces cement-bonded boards and has projected net sales of around €430m. The deal is reportedly valued at €830m. Fermacell has six production sites in Europe. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027.

Belgium: The Compagnie des Ciments Belges (CCB) celebrated its 120^th anniversary on 3 September 2026, and announced the acceleration of its CCBeNETZERO project. The company is owned by Cementir Holding, and currently operates three limestone quarries, a cement plant and 12 concrete batching plants. It produces 2Mt/yr of cement. With its decarbonisation project, CCB plans to capture and transport up to 1.2Mt/yr of CO₂, with the goal of net-zero clinker production by 2032. It also has several other levers: decarbonised energy supply, increased use of alternative fuels and local production of renewable electricity via a wind farm and waste heat recovery.

"We are proud to celebrate 120 years of history and deep roots in the region. This anniversary belongs first and foremost to our teams, whose expertise and commitment have allowed CCB to thrive through generations, but also to our customers and partners, who place their trust in us every day to support their projects. This long-term relationship is at the heart of our success and sustainability. Together, we will continue the transformation of the cement plant to meet the challenges of tomorrow, particularly that of decarbonisation," said CEO Philippe Frenay.

Mexico: Cement sales in Mexico grew by 2% in the first half of 2026, with the industry confident that it will finish the year ‘quite well,’ according to Julio Cedeño, the general director the National Chamber of Cement (Canacem). He attributed the growth to the construction of passenger railway lines from Mexico City to various destinations across the country and to the building of hotels, offices and other infrastructure projects.

He said “We are coming from a challenging year, but the numbers show we are on the right track, and there has already been a 62% increase in physical investment. “We saw a 2% growth in sales when all indicators were declining, thanks to the World Cup, and now we are focusing on physical investment. Spending on the construction of housing and hospitals is already underway, which has boosted cement consumption. Public investment is the main engine of the country’s infrastructure, and that’s where we come in.”

Across Latin America, 200Mt/yr of cement is produced, according to Noticias Financieras news, while Mexico produces 45Mt/yr. National cement consumption declined by 6% in 2025, but starting in January 2026 there has been a cumulative growth of 3% in sales, said Christian Dedeu, CEO of Holcim Mexico.