02 October 2025

France: Ecocem has inaugurated a new €10m research and innovation centre to advance its low-carbon cement technologies and accelerate industry decarbonisation. The 3300m² facility will focus on developing scalable solutions to reduce reliance on clinker. It will build on Ecocem’s ACT technology, which the company says already enables up to 70% emission reductions, with the aim of providing the cement sector with a pathway to net zero by 2040.

Donal O’Riain, founder and global managing director of Ecocem, said “For 25 years, Ecocem has focused exclusively on low-carbon cement technologies. With ACT, our scalable low carbon cement technology close to commercial availability, the new centre will allow us to go further and faster. We will build on the 18Mt of CO₂ reductions already achieved and accelerate the development of solutions that can deliver net zero cement by 2040, 10 years ahead of schedule.”

Switzerland: Cement deliveries in the second quarter of 2025 reached 0.99Mt, an increase of 3% compared with the same period in 2024, according to Cemsuisse. The positive trend that began at the end of 2024 has reportedly continued, supported by low interest rates that have boosted construction activity.

The construction sector is expected to remain resilient over the coming quarters, allowing for positive forecasts for cement deliveries. Rail transport of cement, however, continued to decline, with just 35% of Swiss cement volumes shipped by train, down by 3% from the same quarter in 2024. This drop was attributed to the persistent deterioration of rail freight conditions. Meanwhile, low-clinker cements with reduced CO₂ emissions accounted for nearly 98% of all deliveries.

Kenya: Equator Energy has commissioned a 10MW captive solar power plant at Mombasa Cement’s Vipingo facility in Kilifi County. The new installation will reduce the producer’s reliance on the national grid, reduce CO₂ emissions and deliver ‘substantial’ cost savings, according to Equator Energy’s post on LinkedIn. During construction, around 100 temporary jobs were created, while 15 permanent roles have been established to support ongoing operations. The project was implemented under a power purchase agreement (PPA) and is part of broader efforts to boost renewable energy adoption in Kenya’s industrial sector.

Philippines: The Tariff Commission (TC) has recommended the imposition of a US$1.24/t safeguard duty on cement imports to protect the domestic industry from rising competition.

The commission said domestic cement qualifies as a ‘like product’ and directly competes with imports, which have been arriving in increased volumes. It concluded that the increase in imports had caused serious injury to local producers.

The proposed safeguard covers ordinary Portland cement type 1 and blended cement. It is designed as a temporary measure to provide relief and allow the local industry time to adjust to import pressures. The impact is expected to be greater on lower-priced shipments, as the equivalent ad valorem rate will depend on the import value. Cement imports from developing countries with de minimis volumes, including Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand will be exempt. The Department of Trade and Industry will determine whether new exporting countries qualify under this exemption. The commission also clarified that the safeguard is temporary and will be gradually liberalised, allowing competition to normalise over time.

Bangladesh: The Coast Guard has arrested 24 smugglers and seized 850 bags of cement being trafficked by boat from Bangladesh to Myanmar in exchange for drugs.

Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq said the Coast Guard’s Chattogram Base launched the operation on 30 September 2025 after receiving confidential intelligence, according to local press. Officers intercepted a transfer of cement from a cargo ship to a fishing boat in the Bay of Bengal, bypassing customs and taxes. Two boats involved in the smuggling were confiscated.

The Coast Guard noted that cement smuggling through waterways to Rakhine has intensified in recent months amid deteriorating relations between the two sides.