India: N Bhanumathidas and N Kalidas are co-founders of the Institute for Solid Waste Research and Ecological Balance (INSWAREB), which aims to replace fossils fuels in cement production with thermal plasma powered by nuclear energy. The researchers propose utilising thermal plasma torches to produce clinker without burning fossil fuels. The proposal pairs the plasma with small modular reactors. The researchers said via The Hindu that a conventional rotary kiln consumes over 0.25t of coal per tonne of clinker, while a plasma route requires 0.72t of coal equivalent to meet a 1.2MW demand. However, the nuclear power route requires 36g of radioactive material for 1.2MW. 20,000kg of coal is reportedly matched by 1kg of radioactive material.

Kalidas said “Internationally, pilot-scale initiatives are already gaining momentum: Heidelberg Materials in Sweden successfully operated a continuous plasma kiln pilot using carbon dioxide, and the University of Florida installed high-temperature plasma arc reactors to produce clinker at pilot scale.”

Image: Hereon / Rabea Osol

Germany: On 21 August 2026, the new membrane test facility at Holcim’s cement plant in Höver was officially commissioned by government officials and Stephan Hinrichs, CEO of Holcim Germany.  The technology was developed at the Helmholtz Centre Hereon and brought to market by Cool Planet Technologies. It is designed to capture up to 90% of the CO₂ emissions from the plant.

The Hereon membranes consist of several layers of polymer and allow CO₂ to pass through more quickly than other flue gas components such as nitrogen and oxygen. In Höver, the exhaust gas stream from the cement plant is passed through the test facility over the membranes. The CO₂ is separated and discharged, while the remaining, low-emission exhaust gas stream is returned to the cement plant. This expansion phase is expected to capture up to 10,000t/yr of emissions in Höver. The CO₂ is processed and can be used as a raw material. The membrane process is chemical-free and can be operated entirely with renewable electricity.

The project has received funding from the Federal Funding Program for Industry and Climate Protection, through which the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy supports the decarbonisation of heavy industries, including the development and application of carbon capture, utilisation and storage technologies (CCUS) for capturing, storing and utilising CO₂.

“Höver will be one of the first industrial sites in Germany where CO₂ is captured in a real and large-scale manner,” said Holcim CEO Stephan Hinrichs. “We are relying on cutting-edge European technology and leveraging the engineering expertise of our technology partners. Together, we are demonstrating in Lower Saxony that climate protection and strengthening industry can go hand in hand.”

Mexico: USG Corporation subsidiary USG LATAM is celebrating the 25th anniversary of operations at its El Carmen plant in Nuevo León, which began in 2001. The plant was USG Corporation’s first to produce its DuRock brand cement boards outside of the US, in 2005. It since expanded its product range to also include Structo-Crete, a cement board used in production of its Structo-Steel residential construction system. USG has five manufacturing plants in Puebla, Monterrey, Colima, Coahuila and Honduras, which manufacture and export its products to more than 35 countries.

Gabon: CIMAF Gabon plans to invest US$222m in two projects to increase local production capacity and support the implementation of major infrastructure projects in the country, according to the Gabonese Press Agency. The first investment, estimated at US$177m, is for the construction of an integrated plant in Ntoum. The second project, valued at US$44m, involves the commissioning of a third line at CIMAF’s plant in Owendo. This will provide an additional capacity of 1Mt/yr, bringing the site's total capacity to 1.85Mt/yr. These investments will reportedly help to reduce Gabon's dependence on cement imports, limit foreign exchange outflows, and secure supply for the domestic market.