Articles on the cement industry from Global Cement

Since the publication of the Global Cement Directory 2006 – 2007, Global Cement has continued to collect data on cement plants throughout the world, each year adding to and improving the data. To coincide with the release of the Global Cement Directory 2014, we take a more detailed look at some of the world's most significant cement-producing countries and regions.

To coincide with the release of the Global Cement Directory 2014, Global Cement Magazine has taken a closer look at cement companies around the world, comparing capacities to analyse the development of the global cement market. Through this analysis we have identified the top 75 global cement companies. We comment on their place in the cement industry in different world regions and outlooks for the future.

The coastal west African countries of Mauritania, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin are relative minnows of the global cement industry. Low-income countries in world terms, their cement capacities are typically 0 - 2Mt/yr, with lower production levels. Senegal is the exception, with a capacity of 7.3Mt/yr.

Here, Denes Novak and Manfred Tisch of Wopfinger Baustoffindustrie GmbH present the development and properties of a new 'clinker substitute,' which combines high performance with lowered costs and CO₂ emissions.

North African nations have seen varying amounts of political disruption in recent years, with revolutions in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia and disruption in Morocco and Algeria. Construction, and hence cement production, has been a low priority as a result. In some countries the cement industry is also battling higher fuel costs. However, recent expansions may signal a brighter cement future for Africa's north coast.