UAE: Gulf Cement has been integrated into Italy-based producer Buzzi. The event was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by senior executives of both companies.

Buzzi said “This integration is not just a business transaction; it represents a strategic alignment of shared values, innovation and long-term growth. We are delighted to welcome Gulf Cement into our family and look forward to building a stronger, more sustainable future together.”

Peru: National cement despatches reached 1.17Mt in September 2025, up by 10% year-on-year and 4% higher over the 12-month period, according to ASOCEM. Cement production totalled 1.05Mt, rising by 6% year-on-year and by 1% over the past 12 months. Clinker production reached 668,000t, up by 1% year-on-year but down by 10% in the 12-month period.

Cement exports fell by 10% year-on-year to 10,400t in September 2025, but rose by 9% across 12 months. Clinker exports increased by 88% to 70,500t, but declined by 2% in the annual period. Cement imports dropped by 41% year-on-year to 12,600t but more than doubled, up 105% over 12 months. Clinker imports surged by 90% to 161,000t, up 49% on the 12-month basis.

Austria: Energy utility Verbund has commissioned a 15.4MW solar power plant at Holcim’s Mannersdorf cement plant in Lower Austria. Operational since mid-2025, the 17-hectare solar park features 22,204 modules that produce 19.3GW/yr of electricity, meeting around 15% of the plant’s total energy demand.

Verbund said the project will avoid up to 15,000t/yr of CO₂ emissions. It designed, built and will operate the facility. Holcim said the installation is central to its plan to power the Mannersdorf plant entirely with renewable energy by 2030.

Serbia: The economy ministry will provide Lafarge Srbija, part of the Holcim Group, with a €10.6m subsidy to help finance the construction of a new cement plant in Belgrade’s Obrenovac municipality, according to SeeNews. The government initially announced the cement producer’s plans to build a new plant in August 2024. Lafarge reportedly plans to invest €112m in the project by the end of 2027. The company will hire 51 additional full-time workers by the end of 2026, bringing total employment to 320, which it will maintain for at least five years after completion. The subsidy, equivalent to 9.5% of total investment, will be paid in three tranches between 2026 and 2028.

The Obrenovac plant will produce cement using ash from nearby thermal power plants operated by state-owned Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS). In February 2025, EPS signed a 10-year agreement to supply 20Mt of ash from the Nikola Tesla B power plant to a consortium of Lafarge Srbija and Elixir Group. Lafarge Srbija also acquired the Jazovnik stone quarry in Vladimirci, 30km from the new site, to establish a complete logistics chain for the complex. The producer operates an existing cement plant in Beocin.