UK: Spirit Energy, part of Centrica, has announced the Morecambe Net Zero (MNZ) Peak Cluster development - the world’s largest cement decarbonisation project - has successfully entered the ‘Assess Phase’ of its permit application to store CO₂ in the depleted North and South Morecambe fields in the east of the Irish Sea. It follows three years of ‘intense’ work from Spirit’s subsurface, wells, projects, health and safety, commercial and engineering teams, including new high resolution 3D seismic acquisition and advanced 3D seismic imaging of the Morecambe fields to conclusively demonstrate their suitability to store approximately 1Bnt of CO₂.

Working with its Peak Cluster partners, MNZ Peak Cluster will transport 3Mt/yr of CO₂ from three cement plants – Breedon’s Hope plant, Tarmac’s Tunstead plant, and Holcim UK’s Cauldon plant – as well as from a lime plant operated by Tarmac.

Centrica CEO Chris O’Shea said "This takes us another step closer to delivering one of the UK’s most important infrastructure projects, protecting 13,000 jobs and contributing billions of pounds to the UK economy while cutting emissions at scale. By repurposing the Morecambe fields for carbon storage, we can put existing infrastructure to work again, helping secure the future of essential British industry while making real progress towards net zero.”

India: UltraTech Cement has entered into an energy supply agreement and a share subscription and shareholders agreement to acquire a 13.99% equity stake in FPEL Services, a company engaged in the generation and transmission of renewable energy from wind. It will pay US$1.34m for the stake. Ultratech said that the acquisition will help it to meet its renewable energy requirements, optimise its energy costs and allow it to comply with regulatory requirements for captive power consumption under relevant electricity laws.

Separately, The India Cements, a subsidiary of UltraTech Cement, has also entered into similar agreements to acquire a 12.48% equity stake in FPEL Services for US$1.13m. The transactions are expected to be completed within 180 days from the execution of the energy supply agreement and the share subscription and shareholders agreement.

Brazil: Three China-based cement producers: Anhui Conch, Huaxin Building Materials and Sinoma, have now entered the race to purchase CSN Cimentos from Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), along with local market leader Votorantim. Heavily-indebted CSN expects to raise US$3.0-3.6bn from the sale of its cement production arm.

Local observers state that Votorantim will face difficulties acquiring its largest competitor. It is therefore expected to bid through a consortium with partners rather than alone. A foreign buyer with no existing Brazilian cement plants faces no such issue, which gives the Chinese groups a cleaner path to approval.

CSN has signalled that it wants the cement sale, and a separate disposal of a stake in its logistics arm, to be concluded by the end of September 2026 and that it will pay the proceeds directly into its near US$8bn of debt. Any deal will still need clearance from Brazil’s competition authority, but the timeline will vary depending on whether the buyer is domestic or foreign-owned.

South Africa: Afrimat has announced that it has sold certain aggregates quarries and ready-mix concrete plants across South Africa for US$13.0m to Saturc. The sale forms part of a condition for Afrimat's acquisition of Lafarge South Africa Holdings, part of Holcim subsidiary Caricement, for US$6m in April 2024. Afrimat also agreed to repay a US$54.4m loan owed by Lafarge South Africa to Caricement.

The disposal is effective as of 8 June 2026 and will close on 1 July 2026.