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Cement industry

The German cement industry plays an important role in the broad spectrum of the building materials industry and occupies a decisive position in the entire construction value chain. The industry's industrial network ranges from energy and raw material suppliers, mechanical and plant engineering, and production-related services such as maintenance and transport, to the customer side, i.e. the ready-mixed concrete/concrete components industry, the mortar industry, and the building materials trade.

With a mix of medium-sized and large companies, the German cement industry is divided into 21 companies and 53 plants. With around 8,000 employees, the German cement plants produced around 35.0 million tonnes of cement in 2021 and achieved a turnover of around € 3.1 billion. As an association of German cement manufacturers, the German Cement Works Association (VDZ) represents the industry in dialogue with politics, business, and the public. Its members include almost all German cement manufacturers. VDZ cooperates with leading cement organisations and research institutions worldwide and has 24 national and international associate members.

VDZ works closely with its umbrella organisation, the Federal Association of Building Materials - Stone and Soil (BBS), in the area of economic policy representation. The association is also involved in the work of the European cement industry through the CEMBUREAU and is a founding member of the European Cement Research Academy (ECRA). In addition, the VDZ, with its approximately 200 employees in Düsseldorf and Berlin, has comprehensive know-how and a wide range of services relating to cement, concrete and environmental protection. The following topics are of particular importance for the German cement industry:

Climate protection

Being an energy and emission-intensive sector, the cement industry bears a particular responsibility for climate protection. So, for many years now, the German manufacturers have been making every effort to reduce CO₂ emissions and conserve natural resources. By employing innovative technologies, the industry is facing up to the challenge of producing climate-neutral cement and concrete in Germany by 2050.

Energy efficiency

The cement industry is one of the energy-intensive sectors in Germany, with an energy input of around 30 TWh per annum (fuels + electricity) and energy costs amounting to more than 30% of gross value added. For this reason, all the cement plants in Germany are constantly working to optimise the efficiency of their installations and employ energy management sys-tems certified in accordance with ISO 50.001.

Raw materials and biodiversity

Being an intensive consumer of raw materials, the cement industry bears a particular responsibility for the conservation of natural resources. To both satisfy this requirement and to reduce CO₂ emissions, the industry makes large-scale use of alternative raw materials, most of which occur as by-products in other industrial processes. The extraction sites of the cement manufacturers provide a unique habitat for rare animal and plant species.

Sustainability

The German cement industry is committed to the principles of sustainable development. As defined by Agenda 21, this means finding a balance between the ecological, social and economic requirements of different generations. The scope for investment and the innovative capacity of the economy are central to the success of such endeavours – particularly in the context of climate protection.

Digitisation and Industry 4.0

Projects relating to the handling of digital data and in particular the evaluation and utilisation of such data are currently being implemented in many areas of industry and society under the broad headings of "Digitisation" and "Industry 4.0". Digitisation is also becoming ever more important for dealing with suppliers and the development of new applications in the field of customer and supplier relations.

Demand for building work

As an essential constituent of concrete, mortar and screed, cement is a versatile binder and one of the most widely used building materials in the world. The demand for cement is governed almost entirely by the level of building activity. But for the most part the binder is employed in the construction of residential and non-residential buildings as well as for civil engineering applications.

Cement industry committed to construction culture

Concrete, the construction material of the century, continues to capture the imagination to this day. Cement-bound building materials have always provided more than just an elementary foundation for the construction of future-proof production facilities, infrastructure and housing: They have opened up virtually endless potential for architectural creativity.

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