Demand up 3.8 per cent YoY, Spain

Cement demand in Spain increased 3.8 pct to 36.2Mt in the first nine months of 2004, the president of Spanish Cement Makers Association OFICEMEN.

The highest increases in cement consumption were reported for southern and eastern Spain, 13.5 pct and 5.2 per cent, respectively.

Cement production in Spain increased 4.3 pct to 34.8Mt. Imports went up by 1.9 pct to 5.9Mt, while exports rose 12.7 per cent.

In the 12 months to September 2004, cement demand in Spain increased 4.2 per cent YoY to 46.2Mt. For full 2004, OFICEMEN expects a slight increase to 47Mt from the 46.2Mt sold in 2003.

The cement makers in Spain expressed worries about the quotas for greenhouse gas emissions to be assigned from the Spanish government in line with its commitments to the Kyoto Protocol on environmental protection. The Spanish cement sector was assigned a total carbon dioxide (CO2) emission quota of 27.2Mt for existing factories and a quota of 1.25Mt, which is less than the 30.1Mt quota demanded by the sector. Cement companies fear that the adoption of measures for the reduction of greenhouse emissions will cost them some EUR16m  (US$19.8m) a year.