Global Cement News

US: It is rumoured that the Trump administration is ‘rethinking’ a US$500m subsidy awarded to National Cement’s Lebec plant in California for a carbon capture and storage project, which had formerly been awarded by the previous Biden administration. The plans intend to make the plant California’s ‘first net zero cement plant’ in line with a 2021 state law to make all cement used in California be net-zero by 2045. It is expected to create 20-25 jobs.

"No final decisions have been made and multiple plans are still being considered," wrote government spokeswoman Andrea Woods in an email to press. She did not mention the cement plant project specifically, nor question the authenticity of a series of spreadsheets, reported on by the US press, which appear to show federal grants for decarbonisation projects that may be being reconsidered.

President Trump has expressed scepticism over his predecessor's focus on addressing climate change, including the use of public funds. National Cement says that it has not been contacted by the government about the project.

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos has reported that it ended 2024 with global CO₂ emissions of 550kg/t of cementitious material produced, a reduction of 28% compared to 1990, the baseline year used by the cement industry. The level reflects a 1% year-on-year decrease from 556kg/t in 2023. Votorantim Cimentos’ 2030 decarbonisation target, approved by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), is 475kg/t of cementitious product.

Votorantim Cimentos’ global thermal substitution rate (TSR) was 32% in 2024, an increase over 2023’s TSR of 31%. Its 2030 target is 53%. The company’s clinker factor was 72.5%, a slight fall compared to 73% in 2023. Its 2030 goal is 68%. 34% of the electricity consumed by Votorantim Cimentos in 2024 came from renewable sources, the same as in 2023. The company’s goal is to have 45% of the energy consumed globally come from renewable sources by 2030.

Álvaro Lorenz, Global Director of Sustainability, Institutional Relations, Product Development, Engineering and Energy, said “Globally, we have made progress in pilot projects for CO₂ capture, installed new co-processing and renewable energy sites and systems, and launched low-carbon products. All these efforts will contribute toward our decarbonisation journey and help us achieve our goal of producing carbon-neutral concrete by 2050.”

Bangladesh: Holcim has reaffirmed its commitment to the Bangladeshi market and expressed interest in ‘expanding sustainable operations’ in the country, BD News 24 has reported. The remarks arose in a meeting between Martin Kriegner, Holcim Executive Committee member and Regional Head for Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and interim government Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on 9 April 2025.

"We are thankful to the government for providing continuous support to enable us to produce world-class products in Bangladesh," said Kriegner. He suggested that ‘ongoing carbon capture initiatives’ in other countries may form the basis for the local introduction of carbon capture technologies in Bangladesh.

Holcim, the parent company of LafargeHolcim Bangladesh, has been operating in Bangladesh since 2000 and runs the country’s only integrated cement plant in Sunamganj Districts’s Chhatak Upazila.

Belarus: Belarusian Cement Plant made a net loss of US$13.8m in 2024, according to the company’s annual report. This was a 13% increase in its loss compared to 2023. The company’s revenues reached US$163m, an 18% year-on-year rise. The company is over 99% state-owned.

Ireland: Ecocem has secured €4m in research funding as part of the European Innovation Council’s Pathfinder Challenges 2024 in order to optimise electric arc furnace (EAF) slag for low-carbon cement production. The four-year programme is funded by Horizon Europe and will explore ways to enhance EAF slag reactivity and its suitability as a supplementary cementitious material without compromising cement durability. The project was submitted to the Pathfinder Challenge 2 call: “Towards Cement and Concrete as a Carbon Sink.”

Corporate development executive director Eoin Condren said “For many years, we have been pioneering the use of a range of slags and cementitious materials to create scalable and durable low-carbon cement. Thanks to this grant, we will continue our groundbreaking work as the steel industry transitions to new manufacturing processes, delivering a viable solution for a new generation of waste from steel.”