Current state of the cement industry in China

The last decades have become a period of tremendous growth in the Chinese cement industry. Not only has cement production increased dramatically in the country, which made China the world leader in production, but also technical re-equipment of the industry with the introduction of the modern dry production method and its consolidation took place. After 40 years of rapid development of the country s economy, the excess clinker and cement production capacity became evident. In 2015, the demand for cement fell by 5.3% compared to the previous year, which meant its reaching the "consumption plateau". China is carrying out a structural reform in the supply of goods, aimed, in particular, at eliminating excess capacity, including in the cement industry. The nearest tasks of the industry include also further improvement of equipment, the main objectives of which are to increase the energy efficiency of production and reduce its impact on the environment. The annual per capita consumption of cement in China is now close to 1.7 tons, which is much higher than the world average, but the country retains the potential to continue urbanization, and in the future the market will be able to ensure a stable demand for cement.

Author: Zhang Jianxin

Section: Review

Keywords: cement, clinker, consumption, production capacity, dry process