Spain: Molins has received permits from the Generalitat de Catalunya to begin operating an auxiliary hydrogen generation facility at its Sant Vicenç dels Horts cement plant in Barcelona.

The producer will install a hydrogen production module based on water electrolysis, using water from subway catchments. The system includes osmosis treatment to purify the water prior to splitting it into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity. The hydrogen will be consumed directly as fuel in the clinker kiln, replacing part of the petcoke currently used to reduce CO₂ emissions.

Molins forecasts hydrogen consumption of 305t/yr and expects to cut CO₂ emissions by 3600t/yr. The company said the project supports its Sustainability Roadmap 2030, which targets a 20% reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 2020.

Pakistan: Gharibwal Cement has announced the successful installation and commissioning of a new 12.5MW solar power system at its plant in Ismailwal. The new capacity has been integrated with the producer’s existing 12MW solar infrastructure, bringing total installed solar generation capacity to 24.5MW. The company said the additional system commenced commercial operations on 16 June 2025.

Vietnam: Vietnam exported 2.98Mt of cement and clinker worth US$113m in May 2025, up by 17% in volume and 12% in value year-on-year, according to the government’s National Statistics Office. Between January and May 2025, exports totalled 14.18Mt worth US$523m, marking a 6% rise in volume and 2% in value year-on-year. In 2024, the country exported 29.67Mt of cement and clinker for US$1.14bn, down by 5% in volume and 14% in value from 2023.

Latvia: Schwenk Latvija has captured the first CO₂ at its Brocēni cement plant using a pilot-scale carbon capture unit supplied by Norway-based Capsol Technologies. The CapsolGo unit will run in test mode until the end of 2025, capturing 2t/day of CO₂. The producer plans to make a final investment decision in 2027 on a potential full-scale carbon capture plant capable of capturing 800,000t/yr of CO₂. If this project goes ahead, then commissioning is expected in around 2030.

Chair of the board of Schwenk Latvija and managing director of Schwenk Northern Europe Reinhold Schneider said “We at Schwenk have come a long way through extensive analysis, studies, research and development processes and impact assessments to reach the point of the first CO₂ captured. Schwenk is strongly committed to launching a full-scale carbon capture plant in Brocēni by 2030. This test phase brings us one step closer to that.”