Heidelberg Materials has announced that it is shutting down clinker production at its Hanover cement plant in the second half of 2024. Going forward, the company will instead focus its activities in Hanover on the end-product cement and will continue to operate the site as a grinding facility.
The adjustment comes after a substantial decline in cement sales following weak construction demand in Germany due to the current economic environment, as well as a stronger alignment of the company’s cement portfolio towards low-carbon products, leading to the production of cement with reduced clinker content. As a result of the adjustment, the capacity utilisation of the company’s neighbouring Westphalian cement plants – which will be supplying cement clinker to Hanover in the future – will be strengthened.
Meanwhile, the LEILAC 2 (Low Emissions Intensity Lime And Cement) research project, located at Hanover, subsidised by the EU and planned for implementation by the end of 2025, will now be carried out at another Heidelberg Materials site. The demonstration facility in question aims to show that with the patented LEILAC technology, the CO2 released during cement production can be captured in a highly pure form via a separate waste gas stream and used in other processes.
