Poland: Switzerland-based Holcim has acquired precast concrete producer HM Factory. HM Factory supplies precast concrete products manufactured in Poland to the Scandinavian export market. It employs 70 people across its operations.

Holcim’s Europe regional head Miljan Gutovic said “HM Factory is a perfect complement to our existing operations, offering multiple technological and raw material synergies. I look forward to welcoming the employees of HM Factory, whose expertise will be invaluable in accelerating green growth, especially in highly efficient modular construction.”

Canada: The city administration of Langford in British Columbia plans to enact regulations requiring all public and private projects to use reduced-CO₂ concrete. It plans to support the rules with parallel measures affecting the design of buildings.

Victoria News has reported that the city authorities previously mandated reduced-CO₂ cement for all projects in June 2022, but subsequently relaxed the regulations after only one company – Butler Concrete and Aggregates – completed the transition. Butler Concrete and Aggregates produces its reduced-CO₂ concrete using slag cement supplied by Lafarge Canada.

US: SRM Concrete has borrowed US$300m as an add-on to its senior secured term loan. Moody's Investor Services reported that part of the funds will pay off SRM Concrete's US$130m seller note issued for its acquisition of USC Atlantic from Vulcan Materials in November 2022.

US: Prometheus Materials’ microalgae-based biocement has secured certification for use in concrete masonry unit (CMU) mixes. The cement now holds an ASTM C129 certificate for use in non-loadbearing CMUs and an ASTM C90 certificate for use in loadbearing CMUs. Prometheus Materials’ biocement produces concrete with comparable or superior mechanical, physical and thermal properties to ordinary Portland cement (OPC)-based concrete. It offers little-to-no CO₂ emissions and 95% of water used in production is recycled.

Prometheus Materials CEO Loren Burnett said “We are thrilled to have achieved these two foundational certifications as we proceed in full force with our goal of decarbonising construction. Prometheus Materials’ product is poised to change the future of construction, converting one of the most carbon-polluting industries to a low-carbon – and one day net-zero carbon – reality.”