Algeria: The Minister of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion, Kamel Rezig, has chaired a meeting with cement producers to assess export performance during the first half of 2026 and to examine ways to strengthen the presence of Algerian cement in international markets. Held at the ministry's headquarters, the meeting was part of ongoing efforts to monitor the performance of various sectors with export capabilities and to support economic operators in boosting the presence of Algerian products in foreign markets.

Rezig emphasised the need to strengthen the presence of the domestic product in African markets - which he described as ‘promising’ - given the competitive advantages enjoyed by the cement sector, which, according to the ministry, include product quality and a large production capacity. The minister also expressed his desire to expand the reach of Algerian cement to new destinations, specifically in Asia, the Americas and the Caribbean.

Morocco: Ciments du Maroc closed the first half of 2026 with a consolidated net profit of US$58.5m, a year-on-year fall of 8.2%. According a company statement, this decline primarily reflects the financial cost associated with financing the acquisition of Asment de Témara, as well as an exceptional income from an asset disposal in the first half of 2025. The company’s profit fell by 22.3% year-on-year in absolute terms, but fell by 6.7% on a like-for-like basis.

The first half of 2026 was marked by heavy rainfall in Morroco, which disrupted the pace of construction sites. Against this backdrop, the national cement market contracted by 1.3% compared to the first half of 2025. Despite a recovery in subsequent months, performance remained below that of the same period in 2025. Ciments du Maroc highlighted that it has successfully maintained cost control through industrial excellence programmes, the commissioning of photovoltaic solar power plants in Aït Baha and Safi and ‘rigorous’ management of operating expenses.

For the full 2026 financial year, Ciments du Maroc maintains its objective of improving operating results, despite its first half performance. The group appears to be banking on the continuation of major infrastructure projects, housing support measures and an interest rate environment favourable for residential investment.

US: Holcim and Electrified Thermal Solutions (ETS), a leader in thermal energy storage and electric heating solutions for heavy industry, have announced an agreement to deploy the latter’s Joule Hive Thermal Battery (JHTB) at cement plants as part of the latter's electrification roadmap. For Holcim, the agreement extends work already underway to decarbonise its highest-temperature operations. For ETS, it adds a third global industrial partner to a customer base built specifically around hard-to-abate industrial sectors, including cement, steel and chemicals.

The initial deployment will consist of two JHTB units that store clean electricity as heat in electrically- and thermally-conductive bricks, discharging that heat on demand at temperatures up to 1800°C, a range largely inaccessible to electric alternatives, according to the developer. The partners did not specify the location of the project.

"Electrifying high-temperature industrial heat is one of the advanced technologies we are incorporating in our decarbonisation strategy, and this deployment allows us to evaluate its potential," said Ram Muthu, Head of Operational Excellence at Holcim. "Working with ETS gives us a path to accelerate decarbonisation as part of our industry-shaping sustainability roadmap."

"Holcim's decision to deploy our technology validates years of work to bring electrified heat to high-temperature industrial-scale applications that no other technology or company can achieve" said Daniel Stack, CEO and co-founder of ETS. "This agreement follows the recent turn-on and successful >1000hr of operation of our commercial demonstration system and shows that global industrial producers are ready to move this technology from demonstration to deployment. We look forward to expanding this relationship with Holcim over time."

Ecuador: Cement production in Ecuador reached 492,300t in August 2026, representing a 3.7% increase compared to the 474,900t recorded in July 2026, according to data from the Central Bank of Ecuador (BCE). Inventories reached 46,900t, a monthly increase of 78.9%. The BCE notes that this rise suggests a strategy of precautionary inventory accumulation by cement companies in anticipation of the approaching El Niño climate phenomenon and the potential risks it poses to raw material supplies. The institution surmises that the sector is bolstering inventory levels to mitigate potential production chain disruptions and ensure a continuous supply to the market.

Regarding shipments, trends differed compared to August 2025, with significant increases in bulk cement deliveries, driven largely by precast concrete element production and contractors. Cement demand varied by province, with notable growth rates in Esmeraldas, Tungurahua and Imbabura.