August 2025

Ireland: Mannok, Sweden-based minerals company Boliden and the South Eastern Applied Materials (SEAM) research centre at South East Technological University in Carlow, Wexford and Wicklow in Ireland have launched a 30-month project to reduce the embodied CO₂ emissions of cement. The project will investigate possible uses of shale as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in cement production and the CO₂ curing of cement paste-based mine backfill. Enterprise Ireland has supplied funding worth €700,000 for the collaboration.

Mannok operations director Kevin Lunney said "We are delighted to be working with SEAM and Boliden on this critical research for the cement sector, which could have many far-reaching benefits for the construction sector more generally. Finding local, viable, low-carbon solutions for the industry can make a major contribution to lowering emissions in Ireland."

Boliden specialist development engineer Adam McElroy and section-mill process head Colum Burns said "This project will greatly enhance our knowledge and understanding of the potential for developing low carbon cement for mine backfill purposes and for utilising backfill systems as a carbon sink. The project will also investigate synergies between the cement manufacturing and mining industries that could enhance the sustainability of both industries."

Azerbaijan: The Azerbaijan Cement Producers Association (ASIA) has held the third Net Zero Accelerator workshop to discuss the final report on its 2050 Net Zero Roadmap. ASIA members, construction companies and government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) all participated in the two-day event. TurkicWorld News has reported that topics include Azerbaijani cement’s clinker factor, alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate, construction and design aspects, carbon capture and related regulatory frameworks. ASIA will launch its finalised roadmap in partnership with the European Cement Research Academy (ECRA) and the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) at the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.

ASIA said "The association is making use of the expertise of the GCCA and ECRA to ensure our roadmap aligns with national policies."

Brazil: Buzzi has finalised the acquisition of the remaining 50% stake in Companhia Nacional de Cimentos (CNC) from Brennand Cimentos, securing full control over the joint venture. The deal, valued at US$311m, was approved by Brazil's Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), according to Movimento Econômico. CNC has been operational since 2018 and has five integrated cement plants and two grinding plants in Brazil, with a total production capacity of 7.2Mt/yr. This acquisition follows initial transactions that began in June 2024.

India: Adani Group is negotiating the purchase of Heidelberg Materials' cement business in India, potentially valued at US$1.2bn, according to Reuters. Heidelberg Materials has been present in India since 2006, and owns four plants with a total capacity of 12.6Mt/yr. The acquisition discussions come amidst increased consolidation in the Indian cement sector, driven by heightened demand due to government investment in housing and infrastructure.

India: Orient Cement has won an order from Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Co to install a clinker grinding unit at Satpura Thermal Power Station, Sarni. The ‘work order’ was issued by the company to install the grinding unit, along with a 25-year fly ash supply contract. Earlier in August 2024, Orient Cement said that it anticipates a robust demand recovery in the second half of the financial year post-monsoon.

Sweden: SaltX Technology has secured a new grant from the Swedish Energy Agency for its project ‘Demonstration of new electric kiln technology at industrial scale to enable emission-free cement production.’ This funding follows previous support for testing and optimising electric quicklime production at its test and research facility in Hofors, Sweden. The grant aims to adapt and test SaltX's technology specifically for cement production, awarded under the pilot and demonstration program. It constitutes partial funding for the work that is planned to begin in March 2025 at the company's test and research facility.

Acting CEO of SaltX, Lina Jorheden, said "It is very encouraging that the Swedish Energy Agency supports us in our work to commercialise SaltX's electrification technology for the cement industry. The grant is an important component in the upcoming industrialisation phase."

UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has endorsed the UK government's commitment to finance the country’s first carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) sites, which could help make the creation of the nation's first net zero cement plant a reality. One of the projects hoping to receive funding is Heidelberg Materials’ Padeswood Cement Works in Flintshire, part of the HyNet North West cluster of industrial sites poised to implement CCUS. The government's support for CCUS not only progresses the decarbonisation efforts of the UK concrete, cement, and lime sectors, but also reduces the pressure to import cement from overseas, protecting the UK economy by sustaining local industry and jobs.

MPA executive director for energy and climate change Diana Casey, said “It is very positive to see the Government’s commitment to two carbon capture clusters and this news provides an important signal of intent to businesses and the investor community. While we await the specific detail of the package of support, the support announced for the HyNet cluster creates an opportunity to bring forward the UK’s first cement carbon capture plant.”

UK: The government has announced a €26.3bn investment to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in northern England. The investment will subsidise three projects to capture CO₂ from various sources, including Heidelberg Materials’ Padeswood cement plant, and support infrastructure for transporting and storing CO₂ in Liverpool Bay and the North Sea. The initiative also plans to establish the UK's first large-scale hydrogen production plant. The funding, promised over the next 25 years, aims to establish two carbon capture clusters in Merseyside and Teesside. The investment is expected to create ‘thousands’ of jobs, attract €9.5bn in private investment and advance the UK's climate objectives.

Heidelberg Materials UK CEO Simon Willis said “Today’s announcement from the government to drive ahead with investment in CCS clusters is a major milestone in the decarbonisation of UK industry and sets the construction sector on the path to net zero. As part of the HyNet North West decarbonisation cluster, we are bringing forward our plans for the CCS plant at a UK cement works at Padeswood in North Wales. The government’s backing of this critical technology means that the production of zero carbon cement before the end of this decade has taken a big step forward.”

Canada: Lafarge Canada, a subsidiary of Holcim, has inaugurated a new low-carbon fuel facility at its Exshaw cement plant, in a joint effort with Geocycle Canada. The US$28m facility is supported by a US$7.4m contribution from Emissions Reduction Alberta through the government’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction fund. It will reduce natural gas consumption by up to 50% for one of the plant’s kilns by substituting it with alternative fuels (AF) sourced from construction and demolition materials, primarily wood. Geocycle will process the materials into AF. This initiative is expected to divert up to 120,000t/yr of discarded materials from landfill, reducing CO₂ emissions by approximately 30,000t/yr.

President and CEO of Lafarge Canada (West), Brad Kohl, said "Our commitment to building a sustainable future is at the core of everything we do. The low-carbon fuel project is a prime example of how innovation and collaboration can drive positive change, lowering our environmental footprint through the use of discarded biomass materials while closing the material loop to conserve natural resources.”

Zimbabwe: Bulawayo City Council has granted approval for China-based Labenmon Investments to establish a grinding plant, expected to employ over 500 people, at Umvumila Industrial Park. Once operational, the facility will produce 900,000t/yr of cement, and plans to export to regional markets including Zambia, Botswana, and Mozambique. The grinding plant was previously planned for Cowdray Park, also in Bulawayo, but the application was rejected in July 2024.

The council report reads “The establishment of a cement mixing plant is expected to benefit Bulawayo Metropolitan Province and other provinces in many ways, such as increased supply of cement, employment for more than 500 local people, increased export earnings for the province, enhanced technology and better equipment for the domestic cement industry in Zimbabwe.”