Construction Chemicals

Recent developments

Cement decarbonization moves

Industrial pilots accelerated in cement: the CI4C Catch4Climate Pure Oxyfuel plant started semi‑industrial operations in Germany, complemented by the consortium’s catch4climate flagship project. In India, ABB and Coolbrook moved the RotoDynamic Heater to industrial delivery for Adani Cement. Air Liquide advanced a carbon capture project in Obourg for Holcim. Supplementary measures included Cimpor’s Sines Grinding Plant restart for GGBFS and LANXESS’s hydrogen burner at Krefeld‑Uerdingen pigments site.

Market and guidance

Holcim upgraded FY2026 guidance on higher organic growth and circular product mix. Heidelberg Materials narrowed its 2026 RCO range amid portfolio shifts and kiln upgrades. Upstream suppliers signaled firmer pricing: BASF reported stronger Q2 results, while Dow’s Q2 2026 results showed broad price gains. Air Liquide H1 2026 delivered margin expansion and a larger industrial backlog.

Portfolio and channels

Construction‑chemicals footprints evolved: AGC will transfer APK to Saint‑Gobain K.K., consolidating polyurethane waterproofing and flooring within a construction‑materials group. In coatings, AkzoNobel disclosed a Nippon Paint proposal but continues to pursue its Axalta merger plan. Downstream access expanded via Corian Design distribution with Hallmark and Parksite. Wood‑based panels prepared to list through the WISA Group demerger and prospectus.

Bio‑based inputs progress

Low‑carbon inputs for building coatings advanced. BASF introduced biomass‑balanced additives for architectural coatings with REDcert² certification and unchanged performance profiles. Aurora Renewable Carbon secured financing to restart the Empyro plant and add upgrading capacity to produce biobased feedstocks for resins used in insulation materials, coatings and composites.