UK: Breedon Cement has applied to the Peak District National Park Authority to extend quarrying at its Hope Works site and extract 13Mt of limestone. The active quarry covers a site area of approximately 162 hectares, with the extraction areas currently covering approximately 70 hectares. If approved, it could reportedly secure more than 230 jobs. The proposal also includes a small solar farm, according to local press.

The company said that the plant supplied 16% of the UK’s cement in 2022 and warned that, without new reserves, operations could cease by the mid 2030s, risking the loss of 223 jobs and £25.5m in gross value added to the local economy. If approved, the extension would prolong quarrying by 7.5 years to February 2042.

While more than 80% of consultation respondents supported the site’s role in providing jobs, some raised concerns about heavy goods vehicle traffic. The company stated that traffic levels would not increase above usual levels as a result of the expansion.

Planning documents also outline a proposed shift to lower-carbon CEM II production by 2035 and a target of net zero by 2050, alongside plans to expand nearby wildlife habitats to offset the impact of the development.

The proposal is out for consultation until 30 March 2026, with a decision expected to be made by 9 April 2026.

India: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued a notice to Kalaburagi Cement in Chatrasala village, after an inspection reportedly identified several deviations from environmental regulations.

The integrated plant has a capacity of 3.6Mt/yr of cement and 2.75Mt/yr of clinker. It also has a 30MW captive power plant and 8.4MW waste heat recovery system. The CPCB said that, although continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS) had been installed in five stacks, monitoring equipment for particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) had not been installed in the 130t/hr capacity boiler stack.

Manual observations also found PM concentrations exceeding the prescribed limit of 30mg/m³ in three stacks, recording levels of 38.1mg/m³, 63.3mg/m³ and 357mg/m³ in the reverse air bag house, cement mill 1 and clinker cooler stacks, respectively.

The CPCB noted a ‘significant deviation’ between CEMS readings, which showed PM levels below 30mg/m³, and the manual monitoring results. The board has directed the plant to take corrective action.

Mexico: A judge has ordered the conditional suspension of proceedings for 24 of the 33 people arrested on 12 February 2026 during an operation carried out by the State of Mexico Attorney General’s Office at the La Cruz Azul cement plant in Hidalgo, according to Noticias Financieras news.

Those released are under strict conditions: they are prohibited from visiting any company premises, including the Cruz Azul plant in Hidalgo, sites in Lagunas, Oaxaca and Puebla, facilities in Aguascalientes and the company’s corporate offices in Mexico City. They must also complete three hours of community service per week for the Municipal Presidency of Tula, remain under supervision by the Precautionary Measures Unit and report to sign in every 15 days, and are prohibited from leaving the state of Hidalgo.

The conditional suspension is an alternative to trial requiring the defendants to meet set conditions and repair damage within two years for the criminal action to be extinguished. Failure to comply would result in the resumption of criminal proceedings. The ruling reportedly does not amount to an acquittal.

The arrests followed an operation to restore control of the company to the group headed by Víctor Velázquez amid an ongoing dispute over the company’s assets with the faction linked to Guillermo Álvarez. A confrontation between cooperative members and security forces during the operation resulted in the detention of 33 people.

Switzerland: Holcim has reported what it called ‘excellent’ financial results for 2025, highlighting double-digit growth in earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) and an ‘industry-leading’ margin of 18.3%.

Holcim’s full year sales were €17.2bn, a rise of 3.0% year-on-year compared to €16.7bn in 2024. Its recurring EBIT was €3.15bn, a 10.3% rise compared to €2.85bn in 2024. Its operating profit was €2.79bn, a 0.3% decline compared to €2.80bn in 2024. The group’s Building Materials business segment, which includes cement production, saw net sales of €12.7bn, a decline of 2.5% compared to €13.0bn in 2024. While earnings fell in most markets, lower spending led to improved margins. In Europe, net sales across to external customers fell by 2.8% all business lines, from €9.65bn in 2024 to €9.38bn in 2025. The company reported margin growth, which it said was driven by customer demand for Holcim’s sustainable offering, and an acceleration in decarbonisation and circular construction.

Latin America delivered double-digit sales in local currency terms in 2025, although this was not reflected in Euro terms, with a decline of 1.5% from €3.44bn in 2024 to €3.39bn in 2025. In Asia, the Middle East and Africa, net sales to external customers also fell, by 8.3%, from €4.33bn in 2024 to €3.97bn in 2025.

Miljan Gutovic, CEO, said “I sincerely thank all of Holcim’s over 45,000 employees for their outstanding work. We delivered strong profitable growth in 2025, with a double-digit recurring EBIT increase in local currency and an industry-leading margin of 18.3%. Margin expansion was driven by strong cost discipline, operational excellence and the scaling up of our sustainable offering to meet increased customer demand.”