Displaying items by tag: Europe

Spain: Cement consumption rose by 8% year-on-year to 10.5Mt in the first eight months of 2025, an increase of 0.8Mt compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from the Spanish Cement Manufacturers Association (Oficemen). Growth accelerated over the summer, with July and August 2025 registering double-digit increases of 12% and 13%, to reach 1.52Mt and 1.17Mt respectively. July 2025 marked the highest monthly consumption since September 2011. In total, an additional 0.29Mt were consumed in July and August 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

On a rolling annual basis, consumption reached 15.7Mt between September 2024 and August 2025, up by 9% year-on-year, equivalent to 1.31Mt more. Ricardo de Pablos, newly elected president of Oficemen, said “As we progressed before the summer, all indicators point to our performance this year being more positive than expected. In this context, in which sustainability and decarbonisation are major challenges, the improvement in our results, despite the difficulties the sector has experienced due to the impact of recent crises, contributes to continuing to advance toward our goal of net-zero emissions.”

Exports fell by 6% in the first eight months of 2025, totalling 3.06Mt, down by 0.18Mt from the same period in 2024. Oficemen noted a 20% decline in July 2025 exports that was only partially offset by 14% growth in August 2025. Imports continued to rise, up by 12% year-on-year to 1.11Mt of cement and clinker through August 2025, 0.12Mt more than in the same period in 2024.

Croatia: Holcim has inaugurated the Kodeco investment at its Koromačno cement plant, with commissioning still ongoing, according to a Linkedin post by Region Head Central and East Europe, Simon Kronenberg. The project includes the installation of a new calciner, a chlorine bypass, and storage and transport systems for solid recovered fuel (SRF). Holcim said the investment marks a key step in enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of its operations in Croatia.

Slovakia: Cementáre Cemmac has installed a US$4m solar power plant at its Horné Srnie plant in the Treniansky district of the country. The plant will produce over 4600MWh of electricity per year, to be consumed directly by the plant. This will reduce CO2 emissions by 4500t/yr. The facility has a 15-year technology guarantee and will operate until at least 2050.

Italy: Rising sales volumes and declining energy prices have combined to boost the financial results of Umbria-based Cementerie Aldo Barbetti in 2024. It closed with a slight year-on-year profit increase from €23.0m to €23.7m. Year-on-year revenues increased by 5.2% from €174m to €183m.

France: Axians IAS has successfully implemented its VAS Yard Management software at its 1000th plant. The system is designed to digitise and optimise loading and logistics in the bulk materials industry. It went live across all 14 Heidelberg Materials France cement facilities, including nine production plants and five terminals. The 1000th site is Heidelberg’s Bruneseau terminal in Paris, where the software now manages fully automated truck loading without requiring on-site personnel. In the first week following the rollout, the 14 plants processed more than 3000 delivery notes involving both trucks and full trains.

Jean-Luc Degrange, project manager at Heidelberg Materials France, said “Planning and executing the rollout of this large-scale project across 14 plants was a unique challenge for our team and Axians. Together, we successfully completed this project. We congratulate Axians IAS on its 1000th implementation and wish them continued success with the next 1000 deployments.”

Spain: IKN is progressing with its satellite replacement project at Grupo Cementos Portland Valderrivas’ Fábrica Els Monjos plant. The project includes the replacement of a cooler with an IKN grate cooler, with a new cooler building, burner and a complete vent air dedusting system. On pier two, IKN is fitting a new shell section and replacing the equipment on the pier, including a new base frame, rollers with bearings and CFU.

The company reported two major milestones: the new kiln section, including the tyre, was successfully lifted into place as one piece, shortening installation time; and the pre-assembly and positioning of the cooler, which was moved into its final position.

Greece: As of 10 September 2025, Heracles Group will permanently discontinue its 50kg cement bag, becoming the first company in the Greek construction sector to fully transition to smaller bag sizes, according to a press release. The company said that the decision ‘responds to market needs,’ while setting new standards for healthy and safety and efficiency on site.

The company said that the move is expected to ‘significantly improve’ daily operations across construction sites, creating better working conditions and boosting productivity. According to the company, key benefits of the new packaging include reduced strain and fewer injuries on site, easier handling and transport, compliance with European occupational health and safety standards and minimised waste.

France: Lafarge France has signed a nuclear production allocation contract (CAPN) with EDF to secure a long-term supply of low-carbon electricity for its cement plants. The deal allocates part of the capacity from EDF’s operating nuclear fleet to Lafarge France for more than 10 years under a cost and risk-sharing mechanism tied to actual volumes produced.

The partnership aims to cover part of the electricity consumption of Lafarge’s most energy-intensive sites in France, reducing the company’s carbon footprint while ensuring competitiveness and local presence, according to EDF.

Xavier Guesnu, CEO of Lafarge France, said “At Lafarge, we are already activating all levers to reduce the carbon footprint of cement, from research and development to the industrialisation of new low-carbon products and the use of alternative energies, such as biomass. This partnership gives us visibility and access to decarbonised energy, which are essential elements for continuing our investments aimed at large-scale production of very low-carbon or even carbon-neutral cements.”

UK: Cemex UK has announced a partnership with The Pallet LOOP to roll out reusable pallets for its Rugby Cement products from October 2025. The company said that it is the first cement manufacturer to adopt the LOOP system. The initiative forms part of Cemex’s ‘Future in Action’ strategy to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Initially, the LOOP pallets will be used for the core Rugby packed range, including Premium Cement (paper and plastic bags), High Strength and Sulphate, with expansion across the portfolio planned for later phases.

Vicki Elliott, national sales manager for bagged cement at Cemex UK, said “This is a significant step forward for the cement industry. We’ve supported The Pallet LOOP from day one, signing its charter back in 2022. Now, we’re proud to be the first in our sector to integrate this solution into our supply chain. It’s about doing the right thing, as simply as possible: reducing waste, cutting carbon and helping our customers make more sustainable choices.”

The Pallet LOOP addresses the construction sector’s reliance on single-use pallets, of which fewer than 10% are reused, generating over 250,000t/yr of wood waste, according to the company. The Pallet LOOP’s FSC-certified pallets are built for multiple trips and backed by a nationwide collection service that offers financial incentives for returns.

Europe: PyroGenesis has signed a US$871,000 contract with a European cement industry customer to supply a plasma torch system for a calciner. The client’s name has not been disclosed for competitive and confidentiality reasons. The system will replace fossil fuel-based heating with plasma technology to provide a ‘cleaner, more efficient’ method for high-temperature calcination, according to the company. Delivery is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.