Italy: NovaAlgoma, a joint venture between the Italian-Swiss Nova Marine Carriers and Canada's Algoma Central Corporation, has announced the construction of the ‘world’s largest and greenest’ cement carrier, weighing 38,000t. This vessel will be built by Xinle Shipbuilding in China and delivered by the end of 2026. It will reportedly be the first to use both traditional fuel and methanol and can connect to electrical grids in ports to eliminate emissions, according to local news reports. Additionally, it will feature a waste heat recovery system that converts exhaust gases into 250kW of electrical energy.

Vincenzo Romeo, CEO of Nova Marine, said "This new construction, which meets the forecasts for the development of our fleet and the growth of cement market demand in the coming years, is intended to consolidate our positioning among the global leaders in cement transportation.”

Croatia: Holcim Croatia's €237m 'KOdeCO' project has been declared a strategic investment by Croatia. This will reportedly make Holcim the first producer of carbon-neutral cement in Croatia and one of the first in Europe, according to a press release by the company.

In January 2024, Holcim Croatia began implementing the carbon capture and storage project at the cement plant in Koromačno, signing a contract with the European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency and securing a grant from the EU Innovation Fund totalling €117m. The project will reduce annual CO₂ emissions by 367,000t/yr.

US: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies has signed a licensing agreement with Hoffmann Green USA. The company will receive a first entry fee of €2m and annual royalties based on sales generated by the commercialisation of Hoffmann cements. The contract also gives the option of sub-licensing Hoffmann units in the US. It also includes the option, until 2025, to extend the license nationwide by 2025 for €20m.

Co-founders Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann said "The signing of this key licensing agreement in the US is the concrete result of the pre-agreement announced at the end of 2023. We are delighted to join forces with two partners who share our vision of the construction sector and have both significant expertise and in-depth knowledge of the local ecosystem."

Vietnam: The Ministry of Construction has proposed resuming cement sector planning to the prime minister, addressing the critical oversupply affecting the industry. Cement planning ceased six years ago, leading to unregulated project approvals. Vietnam now faces a surplus, with 92 production lines and a total capacity exceeding 120Mt/yr, while domestic consumption lags at under 60Mt/yr and exports are only 30Mt/yr. The construction slowdown exacerbates the issue, with redundant clinker production capacity at approximately 50Mt/yr, leading to risk of cement producers going bust, unless suitable measures are introduced. The latest figures from the Vietnam National Cement Association (VNCA) show that cement plants are running at just 70-75% of their designed capacity.

Deputy CEO of Vicem, Nguyen Thanh Tung, said "Several production lines belonging to our system have to temporarily halt operation, incurred by low consumption and dwindling incomes. Despite all this, we commit to not selling products below the production cost."