At a Glance...Key Facts for the UK Cement Industry
National Economy
- Cement is an essential material for the £83
billion construction industry.
The cement industry has a combined annual
turnover of around £775 million. It operates 14 plants and produces
around 12 million tonnes of Portland cement a year, which
represents about 90 % of the cement sold in the UK.
The cement industry employs 3,500 people
directly and supports a further 15,000 jobs indirectly, many of
them in rural areas where employment is scarce. The
construction industry as a whole employs some 650,000 people.
Local Economics
Cement manufacturing operations are generally
in rural areas close to their source of raw materials. They
make a significant contribution to the local economy, not only in
terms of employment, but also through the purchase of local
products and services. This can amount on average to around
£15 million annually for each works, taking into account salaries,
business rates and local spending.
Cement Market Make-up
Cement is sold in bulk to ready mixed concrete
producers and precast concrete manufacturers.
In broad terms, 52% of cement produced goes
into ready mix concrete production and 27% into precast
concrete. The remaining 21% becomes packed cement, generally
sold via builders’ merchants to the end user. End users range
from the man or woman in the street to major contractors.
Key Sustainability
Achievements
Direct emissions of carbon dioxide
(CO2) from UK cement manufacture have been reduced by
29% compared to 1990, saving over 3.9 million tonnes of
CO2.
Between 1998 and 2006, the cement industry has
reduced its fossil fuel consumption by over 23%.
In 2006, 15% of cement kiln fuels and
almost 5% of virgin raw materials were replaced by waste derived
materials, diverting over one million tonnes of waste which would
otherwise have been disposed of by incineration or landfill.
In 2004, the cement industry committed to the
principle ‘Revitalising Health and Safety – Cementing Best
Practice’ and the incident rate has fallen by 32% between 2003 and
2006.
An industry national stakeholders’ engagement event is now
established on an annual basis, in addition to many local
engagement initiatives at cement plants.