Cement sales in Dominican Republic decline 5% in 2020

Cement sales in the Dominican Republic fell by five per cent to 4,446,706t in 2020 from 4,703,347t in 2019, according to the country’s cement association, Adocem, in its newly-published 2020 annual report.

Cement production declined 8.4 per cent to 5,168,969t in 2020 from 5,644,176t in the previous year. This represents a capacity utilisation rate of 74.6 per cent, down from 81.5 per cent in 2019. Of the country’s total output, 11.8 per cent was exported.

While the country was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the cement sector saw the beginning of a recovery in the second half of the year, as the government authorised the restart of various productive activity, including in the cement industry.

The report also highlights the publication of the sector’s Roadmap towards a low-carbon economy, launched in December 2020. The industry has launched several initiatives to make cement production more sustainable, including the use of alternative fuels and renewable energy sources, the reduction of the clinker factor and reforestation of mining areas.

“The coming years will be characterised by high levels of pressure to maintain competitiveness, growth and our commitment to the development of the country, which leads us to continue looking for increasingly innovative initiatives focused on the efficiency of our operations and added value. that we contribute, as the sector of national relevance that we are ”, predicts Julissa Báez, Adocem’s executive director.