Global: Heidelberg Materials will scale deployment of autonomous heavy mobile equipment across its global operations, targeting around 30 vehicles in 2026. The rollout will extend to six sites and two vehicle types in North America, Australia and Europe. It follows earlier deployment of an autonomous haulage system (AHS) at its Lake Bridgeport quarry in Texas.

In North America, Heidelberg Materials is extending its AHS programme to sites in Indiana and Texas. In Australia, the company is launching its first AHS projects at quarries in New South Wales and Western Australia. In Europe, Heidelberg Materials is trialling an autonomous wheel loader at a sand and gravel pit in Northern Germany.

The company said the systems use sensors, cameras and AI to autonomously operate the equipment in complex, dynamic environments to improve safety and operational performance. Heidelberg Materials plans to deploy more than 100 autonomous vehicles by 2028 as part of a broader initiative.

Germany: ABB and alcemy have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop AI solutions for cement and concrete quality optimisation. The partnership will integrate alcemy’s predictive technology with ABB’s automation and process control systems to improve production efficiency, reduce variability and lower CO₂ emissions. The system will analyse process data and feed adjustments back into plant operations to improve performance. ABB said that the closed-loop approach will reduce process variability and refine product consistency, ‘closing the gap’ between data and process optimisation.

Global manager for cement at ABB’s Process Industries division Bodil Recke said “Artificial intelligence is becoming an important enabler for the future of cement production. Bringing together ABB’s expertise in automation, process control and optimisation with alcemy’s AI and industry expertise, we aim to help cement producers improve performance while supporting their decarbonisation targets.”

alcemy CEO Leopold Spenner said “Working with ABB allows us to bring predictive quality insights closer to plant operations. Together, we want to help the cement industry achieve more consistent results – improving efficiency while reducing environmental impact.”

Jamaica: The kiln upgrade at Caribbean Cement failed to lift output past 1Mt in 2025, as production declined to below 2020 levels, according to The Gleaner, citing the company’s annual report. The kiln was commissioned in April - May 2025, but Hurricane Melissa struck in October 2025, leading to temporary disruptions. The company reported cement production of 864,000t in 2025, down from 870,000t in 2024. However, managing director of Caribbean Cement Jorge Alejandro Martínez Mora said that the kiln project “fully achieved, and in some cases exceeded, its objectives related to safety, cost, schedule, emissions compliance and production performance, increasing clinker capacity to 2850t/day.”

The company said that the US$42m debottlenecking project was intended to improve output from 1Mt/yr to 1.3Mt/yr, but hurricanes in both 2024 and 2025 had disrupted operations and limited output. It also said that going forward, operations could see ‘uncertainty’, with higher input costs due to the Iran war, which had ‘significantly disrupted global oil and gas supplies’. Caribbean Cement reportedly spent US$27m on fuel and electricity in 2025. However, it said that the domestic market was expected to remain ‘relatively resilient.’

Bangladesh: Bangladesh’s cement industry is facing rising costs due to supply chain disruptions amid the conflict in the Middle East. Shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have reportedly increased freight and insurance costs, raising the price of imports, according to local press. Industry officials said that clinker and other raw material costs have increased due to around 90% of clinker being imported. Manufacturers are now resorting to sourcing clinker from China, Thailand and Vietnam at higher prices, instead of the ‘cheaper’ Gulf countries.

Mohammad Abul Mansur of Royal Cement said that transport costs have nearly doubled due to higher fuel prices and maritime risks. Despite these rising costs, manufacturers are unable to fully pass the burden on to consumers due to weak domestic demand.

Mohammad Amirul Haque, president of the Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association, said that the industry has faced ‘multiple shocks’ in recent years and many companies are continuing operations despite losses. He said that the current situation is not sustainable in the long term, and that a quick recovery in the market is unlikely.