April 29, 2026
Turkish cement sector accelerating low-carbon transition: Turkcimento CEO
HIGHLIGHTS
Turkey cement sector targets low-carbon output
Clinker reduction saves 11 million mt CO2 by 2035
Green cement rules limit clinker ratio to 0.75
The Turkish cement sector is placing new generation and green cement applications at the center of transition by focusing on low-carbon production targets within the scope of combating climate change, Volkan Bozay, CEO of Turkcimento, said at the "Next Generation Cement on the Path to Low Carbon Summit" held in Ankara April 28.
Highlighting that adapting to climate change has become a necessity on a global scale, Bozay said the cement sector is at the heart of the transformation.
Emphasizing that one of the main focus points of the sector in recent years has been low-carbon production and emission reduction, Bozay said the prominent actions in this context are reducing the clinker usage rate, carbon capture and storage technologies, the use of alternative fuels, and waste heat recovery.
"The fastest and most cost-effective solution for Turkey is to reduce the clinker ratio," Bozay said.
Noting that clinker production accounts for a significant share of emissions due to its energy-intensive nature, Bozay said that products offering performance equivalent to traditional cements with lower clinker content have been developed through R&D, and these products are referred to as 'green cement'.
Noting that the "Communique on the Promotion of Green Cement Usage" came into effect on March 16, 2024, as a result of the works carried out under the leadership of Turkcimento in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Bozay said that in public tenders, the clinker/cement ratio is limited to 0.80 for the 2025-2029 period and 0.75 after 2030 with the communique.
"With the new regulation, it is envisaged to achieve about 16.5 million mt of clinker savings and 11 million mt of CO2 emission reduction over the next 10 years," he said.
Bozay also pointed out that concrete standards need to be updated, and access to alternative raw materials should be facilitated to accelerate the transformation process.
Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed ordinary Portland cement (CEM I 42.5R) (bulk) at $55/mt CEMDEX Turkey April 23, up $1/mt week over week, while the assessment for cement clinker (OPC grey clinker) was at $47/mt, up 50 cents/mt week over week.
