Turkey's Medcem ships first cement cargo to new Glasgow terminal

Turkey's Medcem has dispatched its first cement cargo to a newly developed terminal in Glasgow, Scotland, marking the latest expansion of the Turkish cement producer's European distribution network as it seeks to capture market share in the UK construction materials sector.

The 18,200-mt shipment is scheduled to discharge Feb. 6, with a second cargo planned for the second quarter, Enver Celikbas, business development and investments director at Medcem, told Platts Jan. 29. The company expects to export six to eight cargoes annually to Glasgow, each ranging from 15,000 mt to 20,000 mt, targeting concrete producers across Scotland.

The Glasgow facility, developed in partnership with Scottish aggregate companies Patersons Quarries and Hillhouse Quarry Group, features two storage silos capable of simultaneously holding up to 40,000 mt of different cement types and cementitious materials such as fly ash. The dual-silo configuration allows Medcem to offer customers multiple product specifications from a single location.

Glasgow represents Medcem's fourth fully operational terminal investment in Europe and the UK. The company opened a terminal in Antwerp, Belgium, in December, followed by another in Trieste, Italy, in January. In the UK, Medcem operates terminals in Sheerness and Glasgow, with a third facility in Liverpool currently under development.

"This marks our second of three planned investments in the UK and reflects Medcem's strategy to establish a permanent distribution footprint in key European markets, rather than relying solely on exports. We will begin serving concrete producers in Scotland from February, with our first vessel arriving next week," Celikbas said. "Despite the current construction downturn, we believe the UK economy is nearing a turning point and concrete production will rebound. We are proud to be working alongside experienced, constructive and highly reputable partners whose contributions have been instrumental in bringing this project to life."

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed the CEMDEX Turkey price at $54/mt FOB on Jan. 29.