29 August 2025

Nigeria: Holcim has completed the divestment of its Nigerian business, selling its entire 83.8% stake in Lafarge Africa to Huaxin Cement in a deal valued at US$1bn.

Holcim regional head Asia, Middle East & Africa Martin Kriegner said “We are pleased to have found in Huaxin Cement a trusted buyer that is committed to further developing the business in Nigeria. At the same time, the sale proceeds give Holcim additional capacity for our growth-focused capital allocation. We wish Lafarge Africa and Huaxin Cement continued success.”

Latvia: Schwenk Cement Latvija has inaugurated a carbon capture test base at the Brocēni cement plant, according to a post on Linkedin by the producer. Throughout 2025, several technologies will be tested at the site to determine the best solution for Brocēni and Schwenk’s other plants. The Broceni carbon capture and storage (CCS) project aims to capture 800,000t/yr of CO₂. The event was attended by Latvian prime minister Evika Silina, German embassy representative Heike Janče and staff members from Schwenk Latvija.

The final investment decision is planned for 2027, with completion in 2030. Schwenk said the project will strengthen exports to Estonia, Finland and Sweden and establish a regional value chain for low-CO₂ cement.

Türkiye: Limak Çimento will expand the solar power plant under construction in Kurtalan, Siirt, to meet the electricity demands of its cement plant, according to Energy Diary. The project, divided into five units, will increase its capacity from 9.91MW to 15.9MW with the addition of 6MW. The project site will increase from 109,000m² to 241,000m². The expansion will reportedly employ 10 people during construction and five in the operation phase.

Portugal: Cement consumption reached 1.97Mt in the first half of 2025, down by 2.2% year-on-year, according to the construction industry association AICCOPN. In the same period, permits issued for construction and rehabilitation of residential buildings rose by 14% to 10,262. The number of licensed new housing units saw a ‘significant increase’ of 26%, totalling 20,613 new dwellings.

India: Andhra Cements has commissioned a 6MW solar power plant at its cement plant in Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, according to India Infoline. The project forms part of the company’s initiative to reduce reliance on conventional energy sources and promote sustainable operations.