The cement industry in Germany

Industrial cement production in Germany has started in the middle of the 19th century. Over the years the cement production in Germany has further developed, today the industry comprises 21 companies, having produced 33.7 Mt of cement and 24.5 Mt of cement clinker in 2018. The German cement producers have always invested in state of the art equipment. The total average thermal energy consumption of all German cement plants could be considerably reduced over the years, alternative fuels today account for 67.5 % of the total fuel energy demand of the German cement industry. Today’s cement portfolio and its further development have to be seen against the background of CO₂ reduction, the clinker factor of the German cement industry today is 71 % based on Portland composite cements and blast furnace cement as main cement types. Cement producers are part of a strong industrial cluster which comprises not only concrete producers but also equipment suppliers for the whole construction value chain. In addition the industry is taking advantage of VDZ who plays an active role in guiding the industry in many fields such as innovation in technical terms or market development for CO₂ efficient cements.

Author: M. Schneider, D. Behrouzi

Section: Review

Keywords: cement production, cement market, energy efficiency, export, import, clinker factor, alternative fuels, CO₂ emissions reduction