Pakistan: Cement despatches increased by 13% in February 2026, reaching 4.20Mt compared with 3.73Mt in February 2025, according to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association. Local cement despatches during February 2026 were 3.47Mt compared to 3.20Mt in February 2025, reflecting an increase of 8% year-on-year. Exports rose by 38%, with volumes increasing from 0.53Mt to 0.73Mt. During the first eight months of the current financial year, total cement despatches reached 34.8Mt, up by 11% year-on-year.

Nigeria: Dangote Cement has signed a US$1bn agreement with China’s Sinoma Engineering to develop 12 projects across seven African countries, targeting a production capacity of 80Mt/yr by 2030.

The projects include a new integrated production line in Nigeria with a satellite grinding unit, new lines in Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Sierra Leone and Cameroon, as well as expansions at existing Nigerian plants in Itori, Apapa, Lekki, Port Harcourt and Onne.

Sinoma will oversee construction, brownfield expansions and modernisation initiatives aimed at improving production efficiency and strengthening regional distribution networks.

Mexico: Mexico-based design studio MANUFACTURA has developed a bio-based construction material, Corncretl, which it says can reduce emissions by up to 70% compared with conventional Portland cement. The material replaces clinker-based cement with lime-based binders that harden at room temperature and require lower calcination temperatures during production. As a result, the process reduces energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Corncretl combines limestone aggregates, dried corn residues and recycled nejayote, a calcium-rich byproduct of corn processing. The use of agricultural waste forms part of a circular material strategy aimed at lowering embodied carbon and reducing landfill volumes. The studio said the material maintains mechanical performance suitable for additive manufacturing and reported that it offers humidity regulation and self-healing properties typical of lime-based systems.

MANUFACTURA tested the material using a WASP Concrete HD Continuous Feeding System with a KUKA robotic arm to assess printability and controlled deposition. For its first 3D-printed prototype, MANUFACTURA sourced the waste through collaborations in Europe, collecting residual material in Berlin and then transporting it to Italy for processing. A full-scale 3D-printed prototype was later installed at the Shamballa open-air laboratory in northern Italy to evaluate structural feasibility and assess material behaviour under real-world conditions.

Belgium: Air Liquide and Holcim have signed an agreement to develop a carbon capture solution for Holcim’s near-zero Obourg cement plant. Under the agreement, Air Liquide will supply oxygen for Holcim’s oxyfuel-ready clinker production line and provide its Cryocap OXY technology to capture CO₂ emissions. The captured CO₂ will then be transported via pipeline to a CO₂ export hub, such as Antwerp@C, for subsequent shipment to permanent offshore storage in the North Sea.

The project aims to capture 1.1Mt/yr of CO₂ as part of Holcim’s GO4ZERO investment programme which targets carbon neutrality in Belgium by the end of the decade and supports the EU’s 2050 net zero objective.

The companies said the Final Investment Decision remains subject to further partnerships across the value chain and public sector support.