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.

India: UltraTech Cement has announced that it has commissioned 3.6Mt/yr of greenfield integrated capacity at Petnikota, Andhra Pradesh, and 1.0Mt/yr through debottlenecking at existing plants in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Patratu (Jharkhand) and Nathdwara (Rajasthan). UltraTech said that its total domestic cement capacity now stands at more than 204.7Mt/yr. It said that the additional capacity would strengthen the company’s presence in the southern, eastern and northern markets, extend its market reach and improve logistics efficiency.

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.

Italy: Colacem and energy supplier Engie have signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for the development of a photovoltaic system at Colacem’s Ragusa plant. With an installed capacity of 5MW, the plant will be able to produce over 9.6GWhr of electricity annually, which will be used for the plant’s consumption. As a result, the Ragusa plant will avoid approximately 800t/yr of CO₂ emissions. The photovoltaic system will be built on a total ground surface area of ​​approximately 40,000m². Engie will handle the design, installation and commissioning. For the entire duration of the agreement, Engie will guarantee Colacem access to the electricity generated by the system at ‘favourable’ terms compared to market prices and will cover approximately 20% of the plant's electricity needs.