France: Ecocem has launched a new low-carbon advanced cement technology (ACT) cement, aiming for widespread adoption in European construction projects. The ACT range promises a clinker concentration of 20%, lower than the current norm of 35% minimum.

Jean-Christophe Trassard, Director, Marketing of Sustainable Innovation, said "We achieve competitive rates by controlling granularity, the fineness of grinding and admixtures. We have also greatly developed our thinking on the addition of additives in our formulations, which required more than fifteen years of R&D and the filing of six patents."

This product contains locally sourced additives, with the capability to adapt mixes to regional availability. The ACT cement is expected to reduce water usage by one-third compared to conventional concrete. An ACT-based concrete reportedly emits 198kg CO₂/t, a substantial reduction from the 614kg CO₂/t for standard concrete in France.

Gaining market entry for ACT required European technical evaluation and European assessment document certification, currently pending in the EU Official Journal. Trassard added, "As we are dealing with clinker rates below the standards, we had to go through this certification, which gives us a very good passport for the European markets. However, local administrative variations will have to be carried out subsequently."

In France, Ecocem has already applied for ATEX certification to facilitate deployment of the ACT range, expected later in 2024. Ecocem aims to include the ACT range in standard norms by 2026.

Ireland: CRH says that it has completed the sale of its UK lime business. The sale concludes the second phase of the group’s divestment of its lime operations in Europe, first announced in November 2023. The total sale value of CRH’s European lime business is US$1.1bn.

Afghanistan: The government says that contracts worth US$450m have been concluded for the expansion of three Afghan cement plants to 1.5Mt/yr capacity each. Local companies will carry out the expansions, at the Injil cement plant in Herat and the Shur Andam cement plant in Kandahar, while a Qatar-based company will carry out the Jabal Saraj cement plant in Parwan. TRT World News has reported that the Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum expects Afghanistan to become self-sufficient for cement after the new capacity joins existing capacity at the Jabal Saraj cement plant and the Ghori cement plant in Baghlan. These two plants reportedly produce 330,000t/yr of cement, less than 10% of domestic demand.

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement Company's first phase of its expansion project is set for completion in 2025. The expansion will increase cement production by 30%.

Managing director Jorge Martinez said "When completed, this project will further reduce our CO₂ emissions and deliver increased output from 2600 to 2850t/day of clinker to meet the increased local demand for cement. We will also have the capacity to explore options for exporting to other countries within the Caribbean community. These exports will benefit Jamaica’s economy through foreign currency income."

The US$40m plant expansion in Rockfort, Kingston is financed by the company, with 150 workers already on the project. The expansion was announced in 2022 and aims to strengthen Jamaica's cement industry, reduce import reliance and support the regional construction sector. It will also support parent company Cemex's sustainability targets, including CO₂ emission reduction and optimisation of heat consumption in cement production, as part of its Future in Action programme.