Spanish demand falls 24% in first five months

Cement consumption in Spain fell by more than 20 per cent to 1,027,597t in May and accumulated figures for the the first five months of the year show demand has declined by 24 per cent, representing 1.5Mt less than in the same period of 2012.

"They continue to be tremendously disappointing data," explained the CEO of Oficemen, Aniceto Zaragoza, who added that "from our industry, we continue to work on developing constructive solutions that are more competitive, more durable and more economical, consistent with budgetary adjustment required by the current situation. "

In this sense, and in the context of the recent announcement of the Ministry of Development to allocate almost half of its road budget to the improvement and maintenance of the existing road network, Oficemen intends to tender government "maintenance projects that combine economic, environmental friendliness and durability, such as recycling with cement of deteriorated roads. This technique, which is linked to sustainability, retrieves the pavement structural capacity to withstand traffic loads, ensuring strong performance and comfort at a lower cost, and also achieving a significant reduction in maintenance costs, "stated Zaragoza.