The first half of the year closed with a fall of 24% compared to the first six months of 2012

The consumption of cement in Spain in June was 972.721 tons, representing a 23% decline over the same month of the previous year. The fall in the first half is located in the jackpot of the year, by 24% over the same period in 2012, with a total consumption of 5.472.933 tonnes.

The grouping of Spain, Oficemen, cement manufacturers considered that this downward trend will continue during the second half of 2013, year for which estimates a new decrease of 21%. This forecast would be domestic demand slightly above the ten million tons and per capita consumption at only 230 kg per inhabitant, a figure below the year 1962.

With regard to 2014, cement consumption will not present signs of recovery. In this sense, Oficemen has produced estimates with various scenarios in which is still expected falls next year, although more moderate in 2012 and 2013.

In relation to civil works, and according to Eurostat data, in 2013 Spain is the EU country with lower public investment GDP ratio. "We hope that moderate deficit objectives relaxation allows the different public administrations include in their games budgets intended to regain the levels of investment. We as a country we cannot afford further paralyzing public works since we forfeit our future", explains Oficemen President, Isidoro Miranda. "In addition to the existing shortcomings in water distribution and sanitation, we have to remember that the maintenance of infrastructures is essential to preserve its quality and if we want to keep the tourist offer need new investments in infrastructure and sustainable buildings," he added.

With respect to the construction, Oficemen President has requested the Government measures which promote credit lines. "The construction is the sector that can quickly boost the economy with local materials and employment. And so it is necessary to the credit flow. "Improving access to financing and reactivating public works, employment and the trend of the economy, and therefore that of the consumption of cement, can change sign".

On the other hand, exports of cement and clinker in the first half of the year have reached 3 million tons, which is only a growth of 6% over the same period of the previous year. "These are encouraging figures - explains Miranda - but which unfortunately do not cover the sharp decline in the domestic market. The companies are making great efforts to open up new markets, and proof of this is that we already export to more than 36 countries (more than 10,000 tons), but if we want these numbers to peel off it is essential that in Spain the appropriate requirements are to compete on equal terms with our neighbors." In this sense, Oficemen President added: "the new energy reform has an impact on the industry, but we hope that you do not subtract competitiveness to keep export a vector of growth".

Source: Oficemen.

Other great energy cost which supports the cement industry in our country is that of fuels. In this sense, the whole of the industry takes years making a great investment effort to adapt their facilities to the use of alternative fuels from waste. According to the latest data made public by Oficemen, in 2012, the sector regained nearly 800,000 tons of waste energy, which means that 25.6% of the calorific value of cement factories ovens came from waste.

"With the help of the Cema Foundation and Flacema, the sector has made great efforts in recent years and we are already closer to the European average in the use of alternative fuels, which stands at 30%. But there is still a long way to go to get close to the percentages of some of our neighbors, like Holland, Austria, Germany and Norway, with percentages above 60%. We must bear in mind that using these fuels we avoid in addition that the non-recyclable waste end up in a landfill", indicates the CEO of Oficemen, Aniceto Zaragoza.