France: Vicat has announced an investment of €7.5m to electrify equipment at its Xeuilley site in Meurthe-et-Moselle based on technology from start-up Noc Energy, supported by the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME), according to local press. Electrically-generated heat will be used to preheat material in a crusher that was previously heated using coal. Vicat says that this will reduce its CO₂ emissions by 12,000t/yr, or 80%. Commissioning is planned for 2028 and will increase energy demand from 13MW to 28MW. Electrification of the clay firing is also planned for 2031.

Pakistan: The Federal Constitutional Court has raised concerns over Punjab’s 6% royalty imposed on the ex-factory price of cement, questioning whether the levy is being applied within legal bounds. The court observed that the structure appears to shift the royalty away from raw minerals and onto the finished product. During proceedings, judges highlighted that royalty, in principle, should be charged on extracted minerals such as limestone and clay, rather than on processed cement bags. The court said that the current mechanism could effectively function as a tax on production rather than a resource-based royalty. The court further observed that any upward adjustment in royalty is likely to be passed through the supply chain, ultimately hitting consumers through higher cement prices, rather than being absorbed by producers.

Czech Republic: Cement Hranice, part of Germany-based Dyckerhoff, increased its net profit from US$46m in 2024 to US$51.1m in 2025. Revenues rose by 6% to US$140m, according to its annual report. In 2025, Cement Hranice sold cement worth US$122m, compared with US$111m in 2024. Export revenues totalled US$15.6m, down by US$2.6m year-on-year.

In 2025 Cement Hranice invested in improving technological processes, innovation and increasing production efficiency. Board chair Pavel Baros said "An investment of US$33.7m has been approved for our plant for separate grinding and the production of blended cements.”

Brazil: CSN will receive binding offers for its ‌cement unit until 7 August 2026, according to Reuters, with the ​firm reportedly receiving at least seven proposals in the transaction's ⁠non-binding phase. Among interested investors for the ​deal, which could raise almost US$2bn, are China-based Sinoma and Huaxin Building Materials, Germany’s Heidelberg Materials and Brazilian firm ​Votorantim Cimentos. J&F and Suzano Holding were initially interested, but have reportedly already left discussions. CSN chair Benjamin Steinbruch said that the company had received “good proposals, in greater numbers than expected” and that it was “working to narrow these proposals down and quickly reach a conclusion.”