Heidelberg Materials is leading the export and plant efficiency charge in Egypt. Its Helwan cement facility, near Cairo, has been upgraded to include a new waste heat recovery system that is expected to reduce both energy use and CO2 emissions. Moreover, the multinational has been relocating some of its production outside of Europe where the emissions standards are stricter.
Egypt's combined exports of cement, fertilisers and chemicals doubled between 2022-24 and have grown by 350 per cent since 2019, thanks to increased government support aimed at spurring rapid industrial expansion. Egypt's exports of cement and clinker were 9.7Mt in 2024, a record volume nearly three times larger than the amount shipped out in 2022, according to ship tracking data from Kpler.
In 2023, Egypt discharged 279 Mt of CO2 from energy production and industrial processes, according to the Energy Institute, the most among North African nations and the 25th largest globally.
Meanwhile, Heidelberg Materials' overall emissions footprint indicate that the company has steadily reduced its CO2 discharge, from around 73Mt in 2019 to 63.2Mt in 2023, according to the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG).
