Nepal: Hetauda Cement Industry has resumed cement production after a three-month cessation since late 2023. The company stopped making cement due to coal shortages, according to the República newspaper. General manager Basant Raj Pandey said that future stoppages were now unlikely, as the company had secured a regular supply of coal. The company is also conducting negotiations with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies to install new equipment and provide subsidies for the purchase of raw materials such as coal.

Spain: Capital Energy has won a contract to supply renewable energy to Cementos Alfa’s Mataporquera cement plant in Cantabria. The energy company will supply 80,000MWh/yr to the subsidiary of Cementos Portland Valderrivas under the contract, initially from five local wind farms. The contract takes the form of long-term power purchase agreement (PPA), under a self-consumption scheme with surpluses.

UK: Heidelberg Materials UK has awarded Japan-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) a front end engineering design (FEED) contract for an upcoming carbon capture installation at its Padeswood cement plant in Flintshire. Australia-based Worley will also collaborate on the project, which is scheduled to become operational in 2028. The partners aim to capture up to 800,000t/yr of CO₂ using MHI’s amine solvent-based Advanced KM CDR process. MHI previously conducted a pre-FEED carbon capture study at the Padeswood plant, beginning in 2022.

Heidelberg Materials UK chief executive officer Simon Willis said "This is a decisive next step in our plans to install carbon capture technology at our Padeswood cement works. Once operational, it will provide net zero building materials for major projects across the country, enabling us to help decarbonise the construction industry and meet our ambition to become a net zero business."

MHI CEO and head of engineering solutions Kenji Terasawa said "Heidelberg Materials UK has committed to reaching net zero carbon by 2050 and will be deploying our proprietary carbon capture technology, the Advanced KM CDR process, to tackle this challenge, leading the way in the UK's cement industry."

UK: The UK Department for Transport has awarded Cemex UK a grant of just under Euro2m to build a shore power system for its maritime logistics operations at Shoreham Port in West Sussex. The system will enable the company to eliminate on-board diesel engine use during marine aggregate discharges. It will incorporate battery energy storage and solar power generation to provide constant power, whilst simulating fluctuating power demands. Cemex UK will now work with automation specialist Iconsys and the University of Warwick to deploy a demonstration system, which will run from April 2024 until April 2025.

Cemex West Europe materials operational excellence and business development director Laurence Dagley said "Our initial feasibility study for this shore power system identified an opportunity to save a significant amount of CO₂ during each dredger discharge, while also improving local air quality at the port itself. We are, therefore, pleased to have received this funding to progress to the next stage of the project and undertake on-site demonstration."