Austrian cement demand up 4% in 2015

The Austrian cement market expanded by four per cent to 4.6Mt in 2015 and generated a turnover of EUR388m. Exports rose 15 per cent to 446,000t while imports fell 11 per cent to 832,600t.

The gains in the domestic market were achieved despite difficult conditions. Although housing construction increased early on in the year, by mid-2015 this growth had come to a halt. Housing completions reached 52,000.

However, a turnaround in the housing sector is expected for 2016 and combined with a strong demand in infrastructure, expectations are for a good year. “The weak housing construction sector at a time when demand for housing is strong is surprising,” according to Rudolf Zrost, chairman of the Association of Austrian Cement Industry (VÖZ). "We hope for growth impulses through the railway expansion and investment in road construction and civil engineering," he added. The ÖBB expenditure of around EUR3.7bn in the next five years in the eastern region alone. Construction highlights include the Semmering base tunnel, or the upgrading of the Vienna-Bratislava, the Koralmbahn with the Koralmtunnel and Brenner Base Tunnel. In addition, EUR1.2bn will be invested in the expansion and maintenance of the primary road network in the run-up to 2020.