Cengiz Çelik
General Manager
Ağrı Çimento Fabrikası
What should be done to revive the construction, which is the lifeblood for the cement industry?
Our country has an important young population. This dynamic structure brings with it investments in the fields of energy, transportation, education and infrastructure. Cement and concrete are at the core of the investments in this field. This close relationship is the driving force of our industry. As in the last 20 years, investors should be encouraged to make Turkey the center of investments. This move will bring a significant revival. Likewise, we find it very important to lower the housing interest rates. We expect a revival in the superstructure especially in the second 6 months of the year.
In addition, the end of the war environment in neighboring countries and the urgent infrastructure and housing investments in these countries will create new opportunities in our sector.
What are the recent developments in the construction industry, where the cement industry is progressing together? Can you make a general sector evaluation?
In order to provide dynamism to the heavily affected economy in the pandemic process, banks’ interest rate cuts and attractive conditions in the mortgage loan rapidly melted the accumulated housing stock. In addition, the realization of the demands postponed due to the pandemic in other areas also provided a recovery in the economy.
After the pandemic process, increases in cement exports are expected in the rapid exit process. These internal and external developments have boosted our industry.
The construction industry is the backbone of the Turkish economy. What steps need to be taken for the development of the construction industry and the cement industry accordingly?
The cement industry uses 6% of the energy consumption used worldwide. This also has a significant impact on possible CO2 emissions.
In addition to these pollutant properties, the use of wastes as alternative fuel and raw materials makes our industry highly environmentally friendly. The approach of the consumers and the general characteristics of the society are increasing the role of the cement sector in this field.
R&D studies in this area diversify their environmental investments every day.
These developments on a global basis also require qualified human labor.
At this point, what are NGOs’ and public duties? What support and incentives should be given?
In the use of wastes as alternative fuels and raw materials, a regional waste inventory should be created and the cement sector should be supported in their evaluation.
In addition, new opportunities have been created for cement producers to build their own energy by establishing a Solar Power Plant. However, in addition to the supports that encourage land allocation and Solar Power Plant installation, cement consumption is low in the dead time of the construction industry in the factories in the Eastern Anatolia region, which has the heaviest winter conditions of the country. Since there are machines that cannot be operated, providing the unusable part of the electrical energy produced in these months to the national grid and ensuring annual offsetting will prevent losses in this area and increase efficiency.
What kind of strategies should a company operating in the cement sector follow and develop for the development of the construction industry?
We need to create innovation and increase efficiency in every field by closely following technical developments in the field of energy efficiency, alternative fuel and raw materials, electrical energy production, automation and technology 4.0 worldwide.
Cement plants are of great importance for Turkey. Turkey exports cement at the same time as there is no dependence on outside it. Considering all these, it is important to take steps to protect and support the cement investor and the industry. Our state has always supported our sector in this regard. It will be our greatest wish to provide convenience for the innovations that the sector will create in terms of energy and fuel.