US: Shipments of Portland and blended cement including imports in the US and Puerto Rico totalled 7.86Mt in November 2025, up slightly from 7.84Mt in November 2024. Shipments for the year to November 2025 reached 94.6Mt, down by 2% year-on-year.

Clinker production, excluding Puerto Rico, totalled 6.56Mt in November 2025, up by 4% year-on-year. Production for the year to November 2025 reached 63.2Mt, down by 3% year-on-year. Imports of cement and clinker including the San Juan customs district reached 2.03Mt in November 2025, up by 3% year-on-year, while imports for the year to November 2025 totalled 23.6Mt, up by 2%.

France: Lafarge France, part of Holcim, will increase production of activated clay cement to 1.1Mt in 2026 after surpassing 0.6Mt in 2025. The cements incorporate up to 22% activated clay (CEM IV/A) to reduce clinker content and CO₂ emissions while maintaining technical performance, according to the company.

Production of activated clays began in 2022 at its La Malle site and expanded in early 2023 with a dedicated line at Saint-Pierre-la-Cour using the proximA Tech process. Lafarge plans to build a second activated clay production line at Saint-Pierre-la-Cour under the Capt4Climate project, supported by the French government. The facility will become operational in 2029 and will triple the site’s capacity.

Türkiye: Titan has completed the acquisition of 100% of Traçim Çimento following the agreement announced on 11 December 2025. The acquisition includes a cement plant with a production capacity of approximately 2.5Mt/yr serving the local market and export markets including neighbouring countries and the US. Traçim also holds a licence to build a second production line that will add a further 2.5Mt/yr of cement capacity and make the plant the largest cement production unit in the group, according to the company.

Spain: Researchers at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) are developing predictive models using artificial intelligence (AI) to produce cementitious material from construction and demolition waste. The researchers said that the material is a ‘cement-free cement’ which reduces the amount of demolition debris that ends up in landfills and reduces emissions because the material actively captures atmospheric CO₂. The CO2MCHRETE project reportedly demonstrates the feasibility of transforming demolition waste and steel slag into construction materials through mineralisation processes. The research team has also created a digital tool and an app to determine whether concrete from buildings scheduled for demolition can be reused.

The researchers analysed data from construction sites and laboratories and conducted tests using ultrasound, sclerometers and visual inspection, subsequently validated in the UPCT laboratories. The analysis integrated up to 100,000 data points to train predictive models assessing recycled concrete for three uses: fine grinding to produce geopolymers, filler material to reduce porosity and recycled aggregate to replace natural gravel.

The project is funded by the Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation under the Missions 2024 programme and is led by Técnicas Reunidas with the participation of Cementos Cruz, Ferrovial and Urdecón, along with research centres including CTC, TECNALIA and UCLM. The technology has reportedly reached technology readiness level five, validated at laboratory scale.