Cement consumption in Spain expanded by 11 per cent to 12.3Mt in 2017, according to the latest data from the country’s cement association, Oficemen.

However, despite the positive change, civil works, the engine of Spanish cement consumption, remains at historic lows. Demand from this sector has fallen by 75 per cent in the last decade, from 19Mt in 2008 to 5Mt today, says Oficemen. The organisation highlighted that the data indicates that construction activity remains stagnant and cement demand at around half of the volume that can be expected from a market such as Spain.

Oficemen President, Jesús Ortiz, added that the country requires more infrastructural investment: "Infrastructure contribute to the improvement of the competitiveness of any country, but they are even more necessary in our own, a world power in tourism and export by quota over GDP”.

In addition, Spanish cement producers exported some 9Mt of product, representing a 10 per cent drop. The association attributes the fall to a loss of competitiveness of the sector due to rising power costs. The Spanish cement industry has one of the highest electricity costs in Europe, surpassing the costs borne by most of its peers by up to 30 per cent.

Oficemen expects cement demand to rise further in 2018 by 12 per cent to 13.7Mt.