At the end of every year, we tend
to look back on what we have accomplished in our respective industries. Has it
been a year for growth, or have we hit a plateau? What is working for our
sector, and what isn't? The global cement industry generated a lot of talk this
year – in particular, because its year-end results were so bipolar in the
different parts of the world. Europe and the Americas struggle a bit, while the
industry is booming in Nigeria. It's an interesting sector to study because
despite the fact that cement is a material that everyone needs, the production
and distribution process faces many issues. Even big name players in the cement
world, like Alex F Bouri,
face these worries, despite how rapidly their businesses have grown.
Energy Consumption
Everywhere you look, someone is
discussing 'going green,' 'global warming,' and how to reduce 'carbon
footprints.' These buzzwords have been around for the past decade or so and
aren't going anywhere. Needless to say, with a bulk product like cement, it's
hard to cut back on the consumption of energy due to the need to collect raw
materials. This always has, and probably always will, cause issues for cement
giants to some extent.
Durability Concerns
We want to industrialize – and
fast. The need for immediate gratification means that the formula of cement is
always being adjusted so that it will dry more quickly. Of course, cement that
dries quickly will have other issues – such higher levels of tricalcium
silicate, which makes it crack more easily. As of yet, the perfect formula for
cement has not been discovered.
Emissions
In the same vein of energy
consumption is the concern about emissions. One of the main byproducts of
making concrete is carbon dioxide, and cement companies are the biggest
culprits of CO2 pollution. Regulations have been put in place in many countries
in an attempt to reduce these emissions, but hopefully technology advances as
such that they will not be such a huge concern some years down the line.
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