Ireland: Mannok’s cement plant at Ballyconnell shut down for scheduled maintenance at the beginning of 2026, and a new kiln hood was installed. The original kiln cooler Fixed Inlet Grate was installed in 2000, and had become ‘deformed’, resulting in significant ingress of false air. It was replaced by an ABC cooler inlet and outlet seal. Mannok said that the upgrades were already delivering measurable gains in energy efficiency and enabling increased fuel-switching capability. Mannok appointed Fuller as engineering, procurement and construction contractor, which supplied the kiln hood, cooler inlet and outlet seal, while G Leonard carried out the refractory works. The thermal substitution rate has reportedly increased significantly and the cooler inlet has eliminated the formation of ‘snowmen’ – the solidified build-up of molten clinker in the grate, reducing downtime and improving production reliability.

Paul Carron, decarbonisation engineering manager at Mannok, said “Projects like this are central to our strategy as we continue to decarbonise our cement operations. The successful installation of the new kiln hood and ABC cooler components is already delivering tangible efficiency gains and enabling greater use of alternative fuels. From initial planning through to execution, the project ran very smoothly, which is a testament to the collaboration between our in-house teams and trusted partners. This is another important step forward as we remain fully committed to achieving our decarbonisation goals under the Mannok 2030 Vision.”

Europe: Eureka Shipping, the joint venture company formed by Cyprus-based SMT Shipping and Canada’s CSL Group, has taken delivery of a new self-unloading cement carrier built by Dutch shipyard Royal Bodewes. ‘Jorvik’ is the final vessel in a series of eight ships built for Eureka, as well as the company’s 10th overall self-unloading cement carrier. It will be operated primarily on short haul routes across northern Europe. The ship has a deadweight of 4250t, a gross tonnage of 2658t and a total cargo capacity of 4160m³. The system can load up to 1000t/hr and pneumatically discharge up to 250t/hr.

China: Hong Kong’s Development Bureau will test whether heavy-duty drones, weighing nearly 150kg each, can carry essential items across up to six sites over the next 12 months, according to the South China Morning Post. The bureau said it was partnering with two companies to test whether the devices could carry heavy materials such as cement for construction work. Other potential applications could reduce safety risks and save maintenance costs for public projects and facilities.

“We want to use this Sandbox X project to trial the emerging technology and see how this new, complex, unconventional concept and technology can be safely iterated, validated, applied and extended under real-world conditions in our actual sites and facilities, and then to identify challenges we will face and adjust whatever is necessary in the applications accordingly. This is the first purpose,” a bureau spokesperson said. “This will not only help lower operational safety risks and simplify daily procedures, but also effectively enhance emergency response capabilities.”

The trial run is part of a ‘regulatory sandbox’ launched in November 2025. The spokesperson added that the drones could carry items weighing up to 80kg. Using a drone to bypass obstacles on the ground and traffic bottlenecks could significantly speed up operations to save time and operating costs, while eliminating the need for manual transport, they said. It could replace multiple truck trips from one end of the site to the other, with quick, direct point-to-point aerial deliveries, posing an advantage at large, muddy or multi-level sites.

Philippines: OceanaGold Philippines (OGP) has partnered with Holcim’s waste management business Geocycle to reduce the landfill disposal of its Didipio gold-copper mine in Nueva Vizcaya, according to the Business Inquirer. The parties entered into a two-year memorandum of understanding that will divert up to 70% of the mine’s residual waste to be co-processed in Geocycle’s facility in Norzagaray, Bulacan, with OGP taking on the haulage cost. OGP said that the lifespan of its existing landfill will be extended from 1.8 years to approximately 10.8 years, and that it expects to save up to US$101,000 since it may no longer need to build another landfill facility.

“Our existing landfill facility is nearing capacity and could be full within the next year. Rather than expanding our landfill footprint, we have chosen a more sustainable and forward-looking solution,” OGP asset president James Isles said.