Zimbabwe: Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said that national cement supplies will significantly improve following the US$20m rehabilitation and restart of Khayah Cement’s clinker kiln, which resumed operations in early December 2025 after 26 months of inactivity. He said the resumption is a major intervention to meet national cement demand, which had been disrupted by a combination of issues including a breakdown at PPC’s Harare plant, scheduled maintenance at Sino Cement in Kwekwe, and delays at the border for clinker imports coming from Zambia. The Minister warned that while import permits were initially issued to stabilise prices, abuse of the system through unjustified price increases would not be tolerated and permits would not be renewed.

While PPC has returned to full production, clinker shortages persist, with two newly opened grinding plants in Hwange and Mashonaland West already closed due to lack of clinker. Ndlovu confirmed that discussions are underway to build a new grinding plant as a national strategic investment, which he said would cost between US$150m and US$200m.

Pakistan: Lucky Cement has announced a strategic partnership with Portuguese technology provider Ultimate Technology to Industrial Savings (UTIS) to deploy its patented UC3® combustion optimisation technology. The agreement aims to improve operational efficiency and support decarbonisation.

The company says that implementation of its UC3® technology has already delivered several benefits for Lucky Cement, including improved kiln performance and productivity, reduced CO₂ emissions, lower specific heat consumption, and a more sustainable and cost-effective fuel mix.

Brazil: Cement sales reached 5.5Mt in November 2025, up by 4% compared to the same month in 2024, according to the National Cement Industry Union (SNIC). Between January and November 2025, total sales amounted to 62.2Mt, reflecting the same 4% year-on-year growth.

The Minha Casa, Minha Vida housing programme remains a major driver of demand, with project launches up by 8% and sales increasing by 16% over the period. Each 45m² housing unit consumes between 4-6t of cement, depending on the construction method. With a national goal of delivering more than 2 million units between 2023 and 2026, the programme is expected to significantly boost cement demand.

At COP30 in Belém, the Brazilian cement sector presented its new Net Zero 2050 Roadmap. Brazil’s cement industry currently emits 580kg of CO₂ per tonne of cement, which is below the global average of 610kg/t, and has reached 32% alternative fuel use, primarily biomass and waste.

“The cement industry is approaching the end of 2025 closely observing the dynamics between the heating up of the labour market and the constraints on credit,” said SNIC President Paulo Camillo Penna. “While the real estate market financed by savings suffers from high interest rates, social housing confirms its strategic role. The progress of the Minha Casa, Minha Vida programme and the continuous investments in infrastructure, combined with our renewed commitment to the climate agenda, will be decisive in sustaining demand next year.”

UK: Cool Planet Technologies has successfully tested its third-generation carbon capture membrane module at its Grimsby site. The test validated the scalability and performance of the company’s membrane process at flow rates of up to 37,000t/yr of captured CO₂ and recovery rates of 95% CO₂. Further tests were also conducted with a lime manufacturer in for a project which will use Cool Planet’s technology to decarbonise one of its kilns. The module will now be deployed at Holcim’s Höver cement plant in Germany for a 12-month demonstration project.

Andrew Corner, CEO of Cool Planet, said “This achievement validates years of innovation and positions Cool Planet at the forefront of lower cost, scalable industrial carbon capture solutions. The UK tests not only confirmed the performance and robustness of our technology, but also significantly strengthened industry confidence in our ability to help them deliver on their global decarbonisation goals.”