Taiwan: The Taiwanese Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has fined 18 companies a total of US$7m for participation in a ready-mix concrete price-fixing cartel. The companies, including Taiwan Cement, all participate in the ready-mix concrete industry in Taoyuan Special Municipality. The FTC said that the companies have colluded both in person and via messaging apps in order to raise the price of concrete in Taoyuan, since 'as early as November 2018.' Other recipients of fines include Goldsun Building Materials, Ya Tung Ready Mixed Concrete and 15 companies based in Taoyuan. Fines range from US$16.5m up to US$329m for larger participants.

CNA News has reported that Taiwan Cement denies involvement in any cartel.

Germany: Mexico-based Cemex says that Sweden-based Volvo Trucks has supplied it with the world’s first fully electric and zero-emission heavy concrete mixer truck at a joint event in Berlin. The Volvo FMX electric truck can be used a full day’s work with a single top-up charge. It will start operating at the Berlin Spandau ready-mix concrete plant in Berlin in February 2023. The two companies signed a deal in 2021 to work together on electromobility solutions on mobile construction equipment and trucks, productivity solutions and uptime services.

Cemex’s chief executive officer Fernando A González said “Our partnership with Volvo has tremendous potential to contribute to the decarbonisation of our business. Rolling out our first fully electric ready-mix truck is a strong progress in that direction.”

Cemex and Volvo Group are founding members of the First Movers Coalition, a collaboration between the World Economic Forum and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, for companies to make purchasing commitments that create market demand for low-carbon technologies.

Volvo Trucks’ portfolio of electric trucks ranges from 16 – 44t and covers a range of applications from city distribution, refuse handling, urban construction transports to regional haulage. Volvo Trucks is a market leader in heavy electric trucks in Europe and the US. The company’s target is that half of its total truck sales will be electric by 2030.

India: Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited (AWHCL) has won a US$124m contract for construction and demolition waste management services in Mumbai. Press Trust of India News has reported that the contract covers nine municipal subdivisions of the city and will last until 2044. AWHCL said that the contract will enable it to develop the circularity of cement and concrete within the local economy. It expects to commission 600t/day-worth of waste processing capacity by March 2023. The waste management company expects a recovery rate of 25% recyclable materials.

AWHCL chairman and managing director Jose Jacob said "This sub-segment of solid waste management provides tremendous growth opportunities given the number of infrastructure development projects underway, and the government's push to accelerate the economic growth with infrastructure being one of the important growth pillars."

Germany: Cemex Zement has unveiled a fully electric zero-emissions concrete mixer truck, the first in the industry. Sweden-based Volvo supplied the truck, an FMX model.

Mexico-based Cemex said that it is working to discover, pilot and scale technologies for emissions-free transport in the construction industry through its partnership with Volvo.