Cement Industry More Than 50% Dependent on High-Calorie Coal from Russia and Ukraine

For the cement industry of Serbia, last year was very successful – 2.6 million tons of cement was produced and placed, which is an increase of more than 10% compared to the previous year.

Thanks to the great demand, 450,000 tons of imported cement was placed as well. The main challenge to the local cement producers this year is the import of energy sources, because more than a half of high-calorie coal is imported from Russia and Ukraine, estimated the director of the Cement Industry of Serbia Association, Dejana Milinkovic.

– For a long time now, the cement industry has been advocating a substitution of fossil fuels, and this crisis has only confirmed that this is the right decision. The cement industry is certainly among the most jeopardized ones, because the supply chains from Russia and Ukraine have nearly been stopped – Milinkovic said.

The cement industry is more than 50% dependent on high-calorie coal from those countries, which is now nearly impossible to get.

The alternative fuels which our industry uses 20% on average are not sufficient for work continuity, and the demands of the market for cement are not reducing.

What remains is for them to try, together with the state, she says, to change the national regulatory framework which regulates the import of waste, that is, to ensure the possibility of not just the cement industry, but the entire energy-intensive industry in Serbia, being able to use alternative fuels from the EU market.

The dependence on fossil fuels and other emissions from fossil fuels would thereby be reduced.

For the time being, there’s no fear of cement shortages in the market, at least when it comes to large infrastructural national projects.

CIS Beograd

Cement Industry of Serbia Association

Dejana Milinkovic

cement industry

import of energy sources

high calorie coal

alternative fuels

production of cement