US: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies has signed a licensing agreement with Hoffmann Green USA. The company will receive a first entry fee of €2m and annual royalties based on sales generated by the commercialisation of Hoffmann cements. The contract also gives the option of sub-licensing Hoffmann units in the US. It also includes the option, until 2025, to extend the license nationwide by 2025 for €20m.

Co-founders Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann said "The signing of this key licensing agreement in the US is the concrete result of the pre-agreement announced at the end of 2023. We are delighted to join forces with two partners who share our vision of the construction sector and have both significant expertise and in-depth knowledge of the local ecosystem."

Croatia: Holcim Croatia's €237m 'KOdeCO' project has been declared a strategic investment by Croatia. This will reportedly make Holcim the first producer of carbon-neutral cement in Croatia and one of the first in Europe, according to a press release by the company.

In January 2024, Holcim Croatia began implementing the carbon capture and storage project at the cement plant in Koromačno, signing a contract with the European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency and securing a grant from the EU Innovation Fund totalling €117m. The project will reduce annual CO₂ emissions by 367,000t/yr.

Vietnam: The Ministry of Construction has proposed resuming cement sector planning to the prime minister, addressing the critical oversupply affecting the industry. Cement planning ceased six years ago, leading to unregulated project approvals. Vietnam now faces a surplus, with 92 production lines and a total capacity exceeding 120Mt/yr, while domestic consumption lags at under 60Mt/yr and exports are only 30Mt/yr. The construction slowdown exacerbates the issue, with redundant clinker production capacity at approximately 50Mt/yr, leading to risk of cement producers going bust, unless suitable measures are introduced. The latest figures from the Vietnam National Cement Association (VNCA) show that cement plants are running at just 70-75% of their designed capacity.

Deputy CEO of Vicem, Nguyen Thanh Tung, said "Several production lines belonging to our system have to temporarily halt operation, incurred by low consumption and dwindling incomes. Despite all this, we commit to not selling products below the production cost."

Switzerland: Cement deliveries in Switzerland decreased by 8% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2024, reaching 965,200t. Over the first half of 2024, a decline of 8% to 1.8Mt was also reported. Industry organisation Cemsuisse attributes the drop to economic uncertainties, supply chain disruptions and high energy prices. Although civil engineering projects may stabilise the market, a quick recovery in residential construction is not anticipated, according to a press release given by Cemsuisse on 9 July 2024.

Uzbekistan: From January to May 2024, Uzbekistan's cement production rose by 35.6% year-on-year, reaching 6.2Mt. In May 2024, companies produced 1.7Mt of cement, according to the latest data by the local Statistics Agency.

China: China National Building Materials (CNBM) expects to report an unaudited loss of approximately US$275m for the first half of 2024, a significant downturn from a net profit of US$192.5m in the same period in 2023.

CNBM has attributed the anticipated loss to decreased selling prices and reduced sales volumes for key construction materials such as cement.

Belgium: Holcim has completed the acquisition of Mark Desmedt, a Belgium-based company that recycles more than 0.5Mt/yr of construction demolition materials. This acquisition aligns with Holcim's goal to recycle 10Mt/yr of construction demolition materials.

CEO of Holcim, Miljan Gutovic said "With the Mark Desmedt team, we are accelerating our vision to drive circular construction in the key metropolitan areas where we operate to build cities from cities. Strategically located between Brussels and Antwerp, Mark Desmedt will scale up our ECOCycle technology across Belgium, making circularity a driver of profitable growth.”

India: UltraTech is in talks to acquire Orient Cement, restarting discussions amid significant sector consolidation. This development follows UltraTech's recent acquisition of a 23% stake in India Cements. UltraTech has proposed buying Orient Cement for US$4.43-4.49 per share, offering a substantial premium over its current market value, with the deal valuing Orient at about US$874-$934m.

Australia: Woodside Energy and Cemex have invested US$6.7m in Melbourne-based KC8 Capture Technologies to support its efforts in achieving net zero emissions via carbon capture and storage.

KC8 is partnering with Cement Australia to construct a commercial demonstration plant in Gladstone, Queensland, aiming to capture 15t/day of CO₂. A partnership with Cemex aims to capture over 100t/day of CO₂ at one of its major plants. Additionally, KC8 plans a commercial pilot at the US Department of Energy’s National Carbon Capture Centre to capture 10-15t/day of CO₂ from natural gas combustion flue gas. The initiative has also secured US$6m from Low Emission Technology Australia and US$11.26m from the US government.

Executive director Greg Ross said "The funds will be used to expand KC8’s team and expedite deployment of its technology into hard-to-abate industries, such as cement – through a number of key projects."

Tanzania: The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has introduced a new digital verification application named Hakiki Stempu, aimed at helping consumers verify the quality of cement products and combat the sale of counterfeit and substandard cement.

Ndositwe Haonga, TRA Director for Internal Affairs, explained that Hakiki Stempu allows the public to check whether the product they are about to purchase is genuine or not by scanning the product to check if it has the right tax stamp. The app also serves as a tool for ensuring that products meet necessary standards and offer value for money.