Belgium: Heidelberg Materials Benelux has begun production of the initial batches of Q-CEM, its calcined clay-based cement, at its cement grinding plant in Ghent, according to a social media post. It said that Q-CEM offers performance comparable to Portland cement while reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 25% compared to traditional clinker-based cement.

The company said that it has the first industrial-scale calcined clay cement production capacity on the Benelux market, with a potential of up to 1Mt/yr, with clay sourced within the Benelux region. It said the introduction of Q-CEM will reduce the carbon footprint of its entire product range by approximately 10%.

Portugal: The Portuguese Cement Association (ATIC), in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), has proposed the creation of a national carbon capture and storage infrastructure, according to the report ‘Portugal’s Carbon Link – White Paper’. The project intends to ‘save’ the competitiveness of hard-to-abate industries such as cement. It envisages a 660km onshore and 25km offshore pipeline network linking 20 industrial emitters to a geological storage site in the Lusitanian sedimentary basin. The basin has a potential capacity of 3Gt and will be capable of storing 300Mt of CO₂ over the coming decades.

The proposal will command an investment of €2bn between 2027 and 2056, GDP contribution of €14bn by 2065 and create up to 7000 jobs. Transport and storage costs will amount to around €25/t, with capture costing around €80-110/t. The study said that the final impact on construction costs would be ‘negligible’ (2-4%).

Managing director of BCG Lisbon Carlos Elavai said “The cement industry needs a viable solution by 2040,” arguing that Portugal should take advantage of the experience of other European countries to launch a pilot phase to validate the geology and regulatory framework.

US: The Ste Genevieve plant in Missouri has achieved 10 years without a lost-time accident, according to plant manager Alan Greer via social media. The plant is owned by Amrize, Holcim’s US spinoff, and is the largest in North America, beginning operations in 2009. In December 2025, Amrize announced an expansion that will increase the plant’s capacity by 0.6Mt to 5Mt/yr.

Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Cement began pilot operations at its waste heat recovery project on 23 February 2026, following the contract signed with Sinoma Energy Conservation in November 2023. Full-scale operations will start in the second half of 2026, which the company said will reduce energy costs and emissions. The company said it will disclose project costs and updates upon final completion and noted that the project is self-financed.