As ICR presents its annual review of the leading cement majors – profiling recent results and future plans – we begin by providing an analysis of trends amongst the top producers. We also identify the markets offering the best prospects for increased demand, as well as rival companies who threaten the most competition for further investment opportunities.
Last year, Holcim regained its position as the world’s largest international cement producer, with a production level 3.6 per cent higher at 136.7Mt while Lafarge’s production, on a comparable basis, declined 3.9 per cent to 135.7Mta. In terms of capacity, Lafarge had 213.2Mt, Holcim 211.5Mt and HeidelbergCement 112.1Mt with the others all having less than 100Mt.
Lafarge’s 30.5Mta production in China, which is run by a joint venture in which the French major has a 55 per cent economic interest, is included in the above calculation. However, for Holcim, which operates through a much larger joint venture with an economic interest of 39.9 per cent, none of its production, currently running at more than 60Mta, is taken into account.
