Germany: Heidelberg Materials said that it made a ‘robust’ start to the 2026 financial year, reporting sales of €4.54bn in the first quarter of 2026, down by 4% year-on-year. However, result from current operations fell from €235m to €163m. The company said that declining volumes were partly offset by price adjustments and cost discipline, and that it anticipates rising energy costs as a result of the escalation in the Middle East, which will be compensated for by surcharges and price adjustments. Heidelberg Materials confirmed its 2026 outlook, targeting result from current operations of €3.40bn-€3.75bn.

Chair of the managing board Dominik von Achten said “In a challenging geopolitical environment and under difficult weather conditions in many of Heidelberg Materials’ core markets, we have started the financial year 2026 with robust results. A significant recovery in demand is already visible in many markets at the start of the second quarter. For the remainder of the year, we anticipate demand in our core markets to further stabilise. Against this backdrop, we confirm our outlook for the financial year 2026.”

India: Ambuja Cements reported net profit of US$193m in the fourth quarter of the 2026 financial year, up by 79% year-on-year. Sales rose by 10% to US$1.15bn. It reported earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) US$152m, representing a fall of 19%. Cement sales volumes increased by 10% to 19.9Mt, with total capacity reaching 109Mt/yr following commissioning of a 3Mt/yr clinker line at Jodhpur and trial of a 1.2Mt/yr grinding unit at Dahej.

The company said that the Indian cement sector is facing cost pressures from higher fuel and diesel prices, rising packaging costs and the depreciation of the rupee. The company said that capacity expansion plans are being ‘recalibrated’ in line with recent railway policies on bulk cement terminals, with additions pursued more gradually after achieving ‘optimal’ utilisation levels. It also said that demand growth is expected to remain soft at around 5%.

France: Heidelberg Materials France has commissioned a new dry kiln line at its Airvault cement plant in the New Aquitaine region, replacing two semi-dry clinker lines. The new line has a capacity of 1.25Mt/yr and will use a pre-calciner system, increasing alternative fuel use to around 90% and reducing electricity consumption per tonne of cement by 10%. The proportion of clinker in the cement will also be lowered through the new line, which will help to reduce CO₂ emissions by around 30% compared with previous production. The €350m project was partly funded by the French government and will also utilise calcined clay. A carbon capture, utilisation and storage project is also planned at the site, which will capture around 1Mt/yr of CO₂, and recently received a grant from the EU Innovation Fund.

Cambodia: The Cambodian Minister of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation Hem Vanndy visited Cambodia Cement’s Chakrey Ting plant in Kampot province on 4 May 2026. The plant is part of the Huaxin Industrial Park, and the minister encouraged Huaxin to expand investment and ‘explore new opportunities’ in Cambodia. He also encouraged company to advance research and development and expand into new construction materials, particularly those with high import demand, such as tiles and marble.

The minister said "Material science is critical to industrial development. We encourage Huaxin to work with the National Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation (NISTI) to invest in research and development, including waste management and innovative reuse of materials.”

Ke Hongwei, managing director of the park, said that the company reinvested in the plant in 2021 to modernise the facility and expand its operations.