Belgium: Holcim has paused the €250m ‘green transition’ decarbonisation project at its Obourg cement plant, which involved the installation of CO₂ capture, concentration and purification technology to reduce the plant’s emissions. A final investment decision was originally planned for February 2026, but Vincent Michel, programme director of the ‘Go4Zero’ project at the plant, stated that the risks are currently ‘too high’ for the company to proceed, calling a decision now ‘pure suicide’, according to The Brussels Times. This means that Holcim will now push back its target for the site to become emissions-free from 2029 to late 2030 or early 2031. The decision reportedly followed uncertainty around Belgium’s CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure. The Obourg plant produces about 25% of Belgium’s cement output and emits around 1Mt/yr of CO₂.

Australia: Boral has entered an agreement with PNJB Group to support its cement transport operations in Western Australia, expanding an existing partnership covering Victoria and South Australia. Boral said that the agreement will support efficient transport to meet customer needs across Perth and regional Western Australia. PNJB Group has invested in five new cement tankers dedicated to Boral’s Western Australia network and will progressively update tankers with Boral branding.

Boral’s general manager of concrete and quarries in Western Australia, Andre Gobett, said “Boral is proud to be partnering with PNJB to expand its capabilities in Western Australia. Our dedicated cement tanker fleet is a first step and will be travelling to our Perth and Western Australia sites, so keep an eye out for them. A huge thank you to everyone involved for turning this into a great outcome for Boral. Your teamwork and determination made this possible.”

Afghanistan: A coalition of investors has expressed interest in establishing a cement plant in Kunduz, following a meeting with Mawlavi Habib-ur-Rehman Saheb, deputy governor of Kunduz, according to the Bakhtar News Agency. The investors, including two from China, one from Tajikistan and one from Afghanistan, will secure a 10km² area in Aliabad district to build a cement plant with planned production of 2500 - 3000t/day of cement. It is expected to create jobs for ‘thousands’ of local residents.

Peru: National cement shipments reached 1.15Mt in December 2025, up by 18% year-on-year and by 7% over the rolling 12-month period, according to the Peruvian cement association ASOCEM. Cement production reached 1.04Mt, up by 13% year-on-year, while clinker production totalled 674,000t, up by 3%. Cement exports reached 11,800t, down by 9%, while clinker exports reached 36,700t, down by 48%. Cement imports were 5810t, up by 69%, with imports entering solely through the Tacna land terminal. Clinker imports reached 105,000t, down by 50%.