Egypt: Heidelberg Materials Egypt has acquired a minority stake in ZeroCarbon, a leading Egyptian decarbonisation company that specialises in waste management and the production of alternative fuels (AF). The producer says that, as one of Egypt’s leading cement companies, the deal will strengthen its access to a ‘reliable and sustainable’ source of AF, while reducing reliance on fossil-derived energy. The investment reinforces Heidelberg Materials Egypt’s commitment to low-carbon building solutions and advances its ambition to increase the share of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) beyond 30% of its total AF consumption.

“Decarbonisation is not only about reducing emissions: it is about transforming the way resources are used across our industry,” said Heidelberg Materials Egypt CEO Mohamed Hegazy.

US: Ozinga celebrated the opening of its new slag-based low-carbon cement mill in East Chicago, Indiana, with a ribbon cutting ceremony on 13 October 2026. It said that the mill would strengthen the domestic supply chain for building materials, promoting Midwestern construction and advancing innovation in US infrastructure. The plant will produce 1Mt/yr of ASTM C989-compliant slag cement, as well as proprietary blends under Ozinga's CarbonSense brand, reportedly delivering up to 80% reductions in embodied carbon over traditional Portland cement mixes. Once fully operational, the plant is projected to offset more than 0.7Mt/yr of CO₂ emissions.

"We built this mill in the heart of the Midwest because we believe it is central to producing high-performing, American-made materials that will be the foundation of US infrastructure for years to come," said CEO Marty Ozinga. "We are taking the cement-to-concrete process from start to finish - with American ownership at every step of the domestic supply chain, with homegrown scientific innovation and with American workers all the way. Our message to the market is clear: We have new domestic capacity to meet your needs for reliable, sustainable and cost-effective materials.”

Ozinga's private investment in the project was supported by state, federal and local public officials, including the East Chicago City Council.  On-site water access and rail transportation will be key factors that will help to lower the total embodied carbon impact of the product. At full operation, the plant will create approximately 50 permanent union jobs between the mill and Ozinga's Burns Harbour operation at the site of the Cleveland Cliffs steel mill, where the slag is initially processed.

India: The India Cements has entered into an energy supply and share subscription agreement to acquire 3.6% of equity shares of Zenataris Renewable Energy, a company engaged in generation and transmission of renewable energy. The price is an equity investment of approximately US$2.1m and the agreement will complete within 120 days of its execution.

Zenataris is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) established for the development and operation of the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) hybrid renewable energy project at Kudligi, Vijayanagara District, Karnataka. The SPV will supply 11MW of captive renewable energy to The India Cements’ cement plants locally.

South Africa: The Simuma cement plant in KwaZulu-Natal province, which was acquired by Huaxin Building Materials (HBM) in December 2023, is upgrading its equipment after being in operation for decades.

"The operations here started in 1984, so it was in dire need to be upgraded, modernised and made efficient," said Simuma plant manager Rory Govender. "When HBM took over the plant and started the expansion and upgrading, we were very excited. It is something that we wanted for a long time."

Key facilities, including the preheater tower and clinker cooler, have been upgraded, alongside improvements to the limestone quarry and other parts of the production line. A waste heat recovery system has also been introduced, which now generates around 30% of the plant’s power. According to Govender, clinker output from Kiln 2 has risen from about 1500t/day to 4000t/day after removing bottlenecks, while Kiln 1, which has been operating for more than four decades, has increased from about 1500t/day to 2200t/day.

"The plant now has a clinker production capacity of about 1.8Mt/yr and a cement production capacity of around 2.5Mt/yr," said Govender.