Focused on its 2050 vision, CIMPOR Global is progressing towards a carbon-neutral future through investments in low-clinker cements, alternative fuels and raw materials, energy efficiency, and advanced technologies. The company, particularly through innovative binder technologies such as DeOHclay, achieves over 40% CO₂ reduction per unit of cement, while projects carried out across 12 countries set an example for the global industry.
As a pioneer in digitalization and industrial optimization, CIMPOR Global aims to enhance operational efficiency and achieve cost advantages across 3 continents and 18 different plants through AI-supported applications. Additionally, with calcined clay process technologies, the company is recognized as an industrial-scale innovation leader, minimizing the carbon footprint of cement production while establishing benchmarks for the sector.
Berkan Fidan
CTO
CIMPOR-OYAK Cement Group
Cement is responsible for approximately 7% of global CO₂ emissions. What concrete roadmap does CIMPOR have to be part of the solution of the climate challenge? Looking towards 2050, how do you see CIMPOR’s role in shaping the future of cement?
At CIMPOR, we view tackling the climate crisis both as a responsibility and as a strategic priority that will shape the future of our industry and the world. At the heart of our roadmap lies a comprehensive approach to reducing carbon emissions. This approach encompasses the production of cements with low clinker content, the use of alternative fuels and raw materials, solutions that enhance energy efficiency, and investments in advanced technologies.
Looking towards 2050, we envision CIMPOR not only as a cement producer but also as a solution provider for sustainable cities and infrastructures. Through our innovative technologies and materials, we are moving toward a carbon-neutral future. Through projects we implement globally, such as our investments in West Africa, we are setting new industry standards and leading the production of lowcarbon cement with our innovative material technologies, including calcined clay. Our goal is to fully integrate cement production into the circular economy, creating an ecosystem that minimizes the carbon footprint.
Through engineering optimizations combined with field experience, we developed the DeOHclay concept, a next-generation binder with up to 90% lower CO₂ footprint than OPC clinker, which we have introduced to the market.
From CCUS to artificial intelligence, and from alternative binders to hydrogen use, many new technologies are on the agenda. In your view, which technology will drive the greatest transformation in the cement sector?
In our industry, multiple technologies that work in an integrated manner have the potential to drive significant transformation. In particular, innovative process technologies and the industrial digitalization solutions integrated with them have been at the center of our focus in recent years.
Over the past 30 years, the sector has gradually shifted from fossil fuels to waste-derived fuels, and this transition has reached a certain level of maturity. In parallel, projects aimed at increasing efficiency, the transition to renewable energy, the use of biomass, and the substitution of natural raw materials with alternative ones are becoming more widespread, driven both by sustainability imperatives and industrial maturity requirements. However, when taking references and targets into account on the net-zero journey, deviations from the trends leading to 2030, 2035, and 2050 are increasing. We are observing that more effective, rapidly scalable, and priority-driven solutions are becoming increasingly critical.
Among the steps forming the foundation for permanent solutions in the net-zero journey, innovative approaches such as carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), the shift to hydrogenbased fuels, and full electrification of combustion processes will shape the medium- and long-term future. Nevertheless, regulatory, economic, value-chain, and industrial experience-related challenges still need to be overcome. For this reason, I believe that in the short term, the most effective solutions lie in product optimizations and developments that facilitate the transition to low-carbon cement. Supporting operational improvements, innovative intermediate components, and digital tools powered by artificial intelligence—the most dynamic technology and development catalyst of our era—will drive significant change and transformation in the near future.
Globally, we align our strategies around this focus. One of the most important examples is our work on clinker reduction, one of the most effective steps toward low-carbon cements. Considering potential risks related to the accessibility and availability of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), we provide calcined clay solutions that meet the sector’s needs on a global scale. By bringing our long-standing R&D efforts to industrial scale, we have achieved the world’s largest calcined clay production capacity. Through engineering optimizations combined with field experience, we developed the DeOHclay concept, a next-generation binder with up to 90% lower CO₂ footprint than OPC clinker, which we have introduced to the market. We take great pride in witnessing how this transformation we have pioneered is spreading throughout the entire industry.
Similarly, we are moving forward by achieving several industry firsts in the field of digital transformation. Here, too, we promote the widespread adoption of transformation by applying it at industrial scale and global reach rather than limiting it to experimental, pilot, or marketing-focused initiatives.
I believe that a material with an annual demand exceeding 4 billion tons requires actions that can effectively respond at the same scale. I consider that the 2050 net-zero targets should be implemented based on prioritizations aligned with this reality.
At this point, what role does LC3 technology play in CIMPOR’s sustainability strategy? How does it align with the company’s long-term carbon reduction goals?
The LC3 (Limestone Calcined Clay Cement) concept is a pioneering initiative that gained industrial recognition after 2010, following extensive academic research. At CIMPOR Global, our studies on the calcined clay component date back approximately ten years. After extensive laboratory and R&D studies, we concluded that the most significant added value of the process will be generated through industrial experience, and that experience in this field is quite limited. In line with our vision of being a global-local player, we have launched investments focused on West Africa. In 2020, we commissioned the world’s first greenfield calcined clay integrated cement plant in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Building on the knowledge we gained about the material, we combined it with field experience and optimization-driven insights, and in 2023 we commissioned the world’s first flash calciner plant in Cameroon.
Through the integration of calcined clay-blended cements into standards, we have positioned ourselves among the first players to introduce such products to the market. Depending on the product class, clinker substitution rates of 40% and above can be achieved. With the industrial experience we have accumulated, we are now able to activate various clay compositions, control color performance, and transition from fossil-based to biomass-based fuels in thermal processes.
DeOHclay technology, which lies at the heart of CIMPOR’s sustainability strategy, stands as one of its most critical elements. This technology reduces specific CO₂ emissions by 40% or more per unit of cement by replacing clinker—which produces high CO₂ emissions in cement production—with abundant limestone and calcined clay. This approach is fully aligned with our company’s medium- and long-term carbon reduction targets.
By the first half of 2026, we will have reach an annual calcined clay production capacity of 1.5 million tons, enabling the production of up to 5 million tons of low-carbon cement with calcined clay each year. The market deployment of this potential would result in an estimated CO₂ emission reduction of nearly 1.2 million tons annually. At CIMPOR, with our operations in Türkiye, Portugal, and Africa—currently spanning 12 countries—we aim to ensure direct market access, while supporting our decarbonisation targets and continuing to lead a radical transformation across the entire sector.
The LC3 (Limestone Calcined Clay Cement) concept is a pioneering initiative that gained industrial recognition after 2010, following extensive academic research. At CIMPOR Global, our studies on the calcined clay component date back approximately ten years.
How do you assess the market potential of LC3 in different regions of the world? What are the key factors affecting its applicability across various geographies?
The most important factor that differentiates calcined clay from other SCMs–particularly those that have undergone thermal activation or are by-products of other processes with specific reactivity–is the limited change in its crystal structure. Whether they are natural pozzolans and slags, or blast furnace slag and fly ash, these materials undergo crystal transformation and phase changes due to calcination. As a result, although there are variations based on chemical composition, they exhibit similar properties. In contrast, the calcined clay process is based not on calcination but on a dehydroxylation reaction, aiming to preserve the structural integrity of the crystal lattice This means that the chemical composition of the raw clay and the mineral structures of its other components are preserved in the same way, except for the hydroxyl groups and some volatile bases. Consequently, the final reactivity, particle size, chemical composition, and other characteristics of the calcined clay reflect the properties of the original clay or clays used. This also imposes certain selective requirements on the clay’s structure. However, even this selectivity does not limit the availability or distribution of clays suitable for activation, as they are nearly as accessible worldwide as limestone and marl, which are also required for cement production. This stands out as a significant advantage that differentiates calcined clay from other SCMs.
Technologically, the process has matured significantly, and no negative impact has been observed in this regard. However, appropriate expertise related to the clay source, process optimization, correct equipment and sub-process selection, design according to fuel and emission conditions, and the transformation stages of the output material into the final product (cement and LC2) remain critical.
From a market perspective, calcined clays that can be applied across geographies and achieve significant clinker reduction are likely to be evaluated for feasibility in regions with natural pozzolanic materials, volcanic or metamorphic activity, and proximity to byproduct generating industries such as steel or thermal power plants.
Nevertheless, limited natural reserves, strict regulations for quarrying, and moderate reactivity values do not completely restrict the applicability of calcined clay.
For other highly reactive components, such as GBFS and fly ash, the supply is steadily decreasing due to the actions taken by the respective main industries as part of their CO₂ emission reduction strategies. Parallelly, unit prices are trending upwards in response to rising demand. With new regulations, potential risks are emerging, such as the need to account for CO₂ generated in a thermal process by-product and the possibility of taxation. Considering this, it is anticipated that substitutions with calcined clay will increase in the medium and long term.
Currently, the main barriers to global adoption of calcined clay and achieving very high CO₂ reductions are regulatory frameworks specific to calcined clay production facilities, CO₂ taxation principles, emission limits, and permitting processes. At CIMPOR, we take a leading role in these processes; rather than relying on theoretical calculations or assumptions, we bear the responsibility of establishing reference points and benchmarks through our operational production lines.
To reinforce our position as a global leader and technological pioneer, we are constructing the world’s largest calcined clay production line within the European Union, in Portugal. Our 1,500 tons/day line in Souselas, scheduled for commissioning in the first quarter of next year, will be a critical step in this transformation. This project introduces several innovations beyond capacity alone, including production with over 80% alternative fuels, a dedicated emissions control and improvement system, a multi-clay homogenization system, specially redesigned innovative cooling, and advanced grinding technologies in the final product process. I strongly believe that, alongside our other projects, this initiative will serve as a reference for the global applicability of calcined clay and will contribute effectively to the decarbonization of the cement sector.
How is your calcined clay plant in Kribi, Cameroon, making a difference in LC3 production? What have been the main technical challenges encountered in this production process?
Our calcined clay plant in Kribi, Cameroon, is making a revolutionary difference in LC3 production. This facility is the world’s first industrialscale calcined clay production line with a flash calciner design. The flash calcination technology allows for more efficient and effective activation of the clay while offering fuel flexibility, providing significant advantages in minimizing the environmental impact of the production process.
As the first industrial-scale example of its kind, the plant has undergone significant development and improvements in areas such as optimization, raw clay handling processes, newly implemented equipment, gas composition balance, and, most importantly, color control. Variations in clay structure and changes in physical properties such as moisture posed significant challenges for maintaining process stability and thermal energy consistency in an air-swept system.
However, through our comprehensive R&D efforts, lessons learned from the Abidjan plant, preliminary work on color control, and accumulated technical know-how, we successfully overcame these challenges and commissioned this first-of-its-kind facility to produce high-quality calcined clay.
This plant is a milestone, not only for our DeOHclay vision but also as a live example of implementing the LC3 concept in a secondary facility using an alternative process outside the rotary kiln. We take pride in witnessing the acceleration of new projects and in playing a key triggering role in the sector’s decarbonisation journey.
By the first half of 2026, we will have reach an annual calcined clay production capacity of 1.5 million tons, enabling the production of up to 5 million tons of low-carbon cement with calcined clay each year.
How does CIMPOR manage innovation: through its own R&D capabilities, startup collaborations, or global partnerships?
At CIMPOR, we do not manage innovation through a single channel. Our innovation strategy is built on a hybrid model that combines our strong in-house R&D capabilities, startup collaborations, and global partnerships. This multi-layered approach gives us the ability to act dynamically and respond quickly.
Our internal R&D teams enable us to develop proprietary technologies, such as DeOHclay, while our collaborations with startups bring fresh perspectives and agile solutions from outside the industry. For example, our partnership with FIZIX represents a significant step in AI-based predictive maintenance. Similarly, our structure under TCC Group Holdings accelerates our innovation agenda by facilitating technology transfer and enabling large-scale investments.
Looking ahead to next year and beyond, we aim to implement this type of innovative solution not only to support our own innovation, digital transformation, and decarbonisation goals, but also to advance the vision and opportunities for all stakeholders across the sector.
From CIMPOR’s innovation perspective, which partnerships among governments, academia, and technology companies are most critical, and why?
We are an organization that believes innovation primarily happens through collaborations based on technology and expertise. In this context, collaborations with technology companies and academic institutions are crucial for the success of our innovation agenda.
For instance, partnerships with technology companies specialized in areas such as AI, IIoT, automation, and data analytics—like our collaboration with FIZIX—help us enhance operational efficiency and optimize costs. This is one of the key factors that sets us apart in the sector.
Developing projects with universities and research institutes is vital for long-term, groundbreaking R&D projects. Such partnerships have the potential to contribute to the development of science-based solutions in areas like the circular economy, next-generation binder materials, and carbon capture.
Processes and collaborations with governmental authorities with governments are important mainly for accelerating industry-wide transformation through regulations and incentives.
At CIMPOR, our efforts and collaborations with these institutions go beyond innovation alone. In everything we do, we prioritize making a positive impact on people. We aim to be a reliable partner in the development of the countries where we operate, contributing to local infrastructure projects and creating employment opportunities. We also place great importance on social responsibility activities in areas with a significant societal impact, such as education.
An example of this in Africa is our “Avec Vous” (With You) project in Côte d’Ivoire. The initiative began with distributing educational materials to children in the village of Attinguié, near the CIMPOR Abidjan plant. In its later stages, and in collaboration with the government and local authorities, a fully equipped kindergarten of the same name was constructed and donated to the community. This step toward social welfare reflects our commitment to sharing and upholding the common values of the communities we serve.
Your collaboration with FIZIX represents a significant step in predictive maintenance. What improvements in efficiency and cost advantages do you expect to achieve at your production facilities through this project?
The FIZIX collaboration forms a key component of the IndustrAI – Maintenance Excellence Project, significantly enhancing the operational efficiency of our production facilities. Our main expectation from this project is to increase our predictive and prescriptive maintenance capabilities, identifying potential unplanned downtimes in advance and minimizing associated losses.
Within the framework we call “Smart Maintenance Health,” multifunctional IIoT sensors with onboard microprocessors collect data with maximum detail and accuracy, which is then subjected to AIdriven analysis and anomaly detection. This approach allows us to go far beyond simple vibration-based monitoring. By correlating process information across three axes—including vibration frequencies, temperature, acoustic signals, magnetic current, and RPM—we can detect faults as soon as they begin to develop. The process leading up to observable damage, including deformations in related units, prolonged downtime, and root cause analyses, is managed with AI support in a highly preventive, protective, and decision-supportoriented manner.
To ensure the project’s effectiveness, applicability, and scalability for future independent deployment, it has been integrated with a 5G MPN infrastructure. Instead of using the general network, IIoT sensor communications are conducted through a dedicated 5G network covering all open and closed areas of the cement plant. With this setup, over approximately one year, the installation and implementation of more than 10,000 sensors across 18 different plants on three continents will be completed.
The main efficiency gains and cost advantages we expect to achieve include:
Production Continuity: Reduction of unplanned downtimes, ensuring uninterrupted operation of our production lines and increasing overall production continuity.
Reduced Maintenance Costs: By detecting faults early, repairs can be planned and executed at lower cost. Optimizing spare parts inventory also provides economic and operational benefits.
Energy Efficiency: Better-performing equipment optimizes energy consumption, reducing operational costs. Workplace Safety: Early fault detection creates a safer working environment for employees.
Sustainability: Higher efficiency, consistent production, and increased reliability contribute to our decarbonisation targets.
How has the 5G MPN-based data network project you carried out with Vodafone impacted your operational efficiency?
What would you like to say about the role of a strong infrastructure in digitalization journey? The 5G private mobile network (MPN) project, the first phase of which we carried out in Portugal in collaboration with Vodafone and Ericsson is one of the key pillars in our digitalization journey. Without a strong and reliable network infrastructure, it is impossible to fully leverage the potential of AI, automation, and Industry 4.0 applications.
With the experience we have gained, we will also deploy the applications in Turkey in a short time. This will allow data from all sensors and hardware devices to be collected live, wirelessly, and without delay. This directly impacts our operational efficiency in several ways:
Real-Time Decision Making: Data-driven decisions allow us to optimize our production processes instantly.
Remote Monitoring and Management: A robust infrastructure provides the ability to monitor and manage our facilities remotely, enhancing operational flexibility.
Accelerated Innovation: A reliable network enables faster integration and testing of new digital solutions and applications.
In short, the concept of digitalization is not just about automation or the transition from analog; it also encompasses real-time access to data, immediate processing, and instant feedback. A strong network infrastructure ensures uninterrupted data flow throughout our operations, transforming us from a traditional manufacturing company into a technologically advanced building materials producer that makes data-driven decisions and shapes the future.
How do you think circular economy – urban mining, industrial symbiosis, and waste recycling – will transform cement production at scale?
Circular economy is one of the key concepts that will fundamentally transform cement production and shape the future of the industry. Moving away from the traditional linear “take-make-dispose” model toward a system where resources are efficiently utilized and waste is converted into new value chains is not only an environmental necessity but also an economic imperative.
As a key component of ESG strategies and vision, the circular economy offers significant opportunities across many areas — from the use of alternative raw materials and fuels to industrial symbiosis partnerships and solutions, as well as the reuse of demolition waste and concrete.
At CIMPOR, we also prioritize these areas and, in this process that supports our decarbonization roadmap, we focus on reducing natural resource consumption, promoting reuse, and alleviating the environmental burden by providing end-of-life solutions for waste.
In Türkiye and Portugal, where we are market leaders in the use of municipal and industrial waste, we are also leading the sector in substituting fossil fuels with alternative fuels. At our Aslan plant in Türkiye and our Alhandra and Souselas facilities in Portugal, ongoing investments will allow us to raise substitution rates from over 60% to above 80%. In all our other facilities, we are developing partnerships and various models to increase substitution rates, which currently average around 35%. Through these initiatives, we help municipalities and industries manage their waste while minimizing environmental impact.
We reduce natural resource consumption by incorporating alternative raw material sources into our processes. We increase the use of materials that are considered waste in other industries but have suitable reactivity to substitute clinker.
To enable the future-critical recycling of demolition concrete and the reuse of the resulting aggregates, sand, and hydrated cement powder, industrial-scale facilities are being established in both Türkiye and Portugal. These facilities, with fully customized process designs, will directly reduce natural resource consumption and turn demolition waste into reusable products.
In conclusion, recycling cement and concrete at such large volumes delivers substantial environmental, social, and economic benefits. In the near future, solutions based on circular recovery and low-carbon products will become increasingly widespread, representing a critical component of decarbonization strategies.
Our calcined clay plant in Kribi, Cameroon, is making a revolutionary difference in LC3 production. This facility is the world’s first industrial-scale calcined clay production line with a flash calciner design.
What advice would you give to young engineers and professionals entering the sector today?
The current work environment, and especially the post-COVID shift, has triggered both necessary and profound transformations for employees and employers.
In our sector, it is clear that long-standing practices and patterns are being challenged, requiring adaptation to new conditions. We are transitioning from a sector that is closed, highly specialized, and strongly rooted in a sense of belonging to one that is more open, increasingly requires expertise in diverse areas, and is accustomed to higher rotation.
For new professionals entering this sector, the transition is rapidly taking place from a period where the desire to apply technical knowledge and hands-on industrial experience was most impactful, to one where having a tangible impact on innovation, technology, digitalization, environment, and sustainability becomes the defining factor. Ignoring or being indifferent to this shift will mean falling behind and being left out.
For companies, focusing on strategies that align with this change is crucial. Beyond the core objective of cement and concrete production, it is now vital to highlight areas that are not only visionary but also economically impactful. Talent and skilled workforce will naturally prioritize and direct their choices toward sectors that make these contributions visible.
Some advice for young professionals starting their careers or aiming to enter this sector:
At first glance, cement and concrete may appear as a sector where stone and soil are processed within dust and noise, ultimately producing a cheap grey material. However, from another perspective, it offers significant opportunities and potential impacts across greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, environmental protection, sustainability, and many other domains compared to other industries. As a simple example, no industrial activity achieves mass production reaching 4 billion tons per year. In contrast, when considering energy and emissions, the benefits gained from greenhouse gas reduction or energy efficiency increase significantly. It is important to understand the cement sector’s environmental, social, and governance dimensions.
• Industrial scope and complexity are continuously expanding. Therefore, engaging in research, learning, and development across different disciplines will provide significant benefits for one’s career path. Engineers should analyze finance, IT, OT, supply chain, and sales; administrative staff should familiarize themselves with technical domains. Components such as artificial intelligence, LLMs, and agentic AI will enable profiles with multidisciplinary knowledge to stand out and become more valuable.
• Access to technology, digital tools, and innovation is now faster and more dynamic than ever; it must be integrated into work processes. Individuals with ideas, motivation, willingness to experiment, and openness to collaboration will stand out and create impact.
• Start-ups, new approaches, and technologies related to the sector and adjacent industries should be closely monitored. This will not only apply to the engineering field but will also trigger ideas capable of creating synergies and transforming ways of working across areas such as environment, risk management, HR, quality, finance, and legal. Creativity increases motivation and accelerates learning.
• Finally, while digitalization and technology may push us toward individuality, teamwork and being part of a collaborative team remain key criteria for success.
Our sector is wide open to innovative and bold young talents. I advise them not to focus solely on doing a job, but to engage in being part of a mission that shapes the future of this work.
