Dr. Önder Kırca/CEO
ÇİMKO
The year 2024 has been a highly meaningful one for us at Çimko. We have not only experienced the pride of achieving our growth targets but also acted with a strong sense of responsibility in the earthquake-affected regions, working tirelessly to help rebuild these areas. The devastating earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş and Adıyaman on February 6, 2023, deeply affected not only our region but all of our lives. During this difficult period, we once again realized that our work is not just about production but also about our responsibility to society and people, which takes precedence over everything else.
Immediately after the earthquake, we mobilized all our resources to heal the wounds in our region. In our Narlı and Adıyaman plants, we provided shelter for our employees and their families affected by the earthquake by establishing container and prefabricated housing for 233 families. We created libraries with internet access, parks, and playrooms for our children. To enhance women’s participation in social life, we set up various workshops. These initiatives were not merely short-term solutions but were implemented with the goal of providing a sustainable contribution to the reconstruction of the region.
During challenging times such as the pandemic and the earthquake, we significantly increased our employment to contribute to society. Despite market conditions, we have increased our workforce by 56% over the past five years, providing jobs for more than 1,600 people.
We value the presence of women in the workforce; one in every five of our white-collar employees is a woman. In line with our principle of social diversity and equality, we also support female employment in the cement industry, a traditionally male-dominated sector. Increasing the number of female employees across all categories is one of our top priorities. In this regard, we are focusing on positions, especially in the readymix concrete sector, where female employees are underrepresented. To increase the number of women in our workforce, we are improving physical working conditions to make sites more suitable for female engineers. Increasing employment is not only a step toward economic growth but also a crucial part of fulfilling our social responsibility.
In 2024, we also took significant steps in production. As of today, with our three integrated cement plants in Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, and Bartın, and 40 ready-mix concrete plants in 13 different provinces, we continue to be one of the strongest players in our sector. Expanding the number of our ready-mix concrete plants was a strategic move to meet the reconstruction needs in the earthquake-affected regions. Through these new facilities, we have not only supported local projects but also created employment opportunities, contributing to the regional economy. To secure aggregate, the second most critical input in readymix concrete production, from our own sources, we increased the capacity of our second aggregate plant to 5.6 million tons. We will further expand this business line by selling to our customers from our facilities.
As of today, with our three integrated cement plants in Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, and Bartın, and 40 ready-mix concrete plants in 13 different provinces, we continue to be one of the strongest players in our sector.
The renewable energy investments we acquired in 2023 became even more impactful in 2024. With the solar power plants, we established in Ankara, İzmir, and Manisa, we are producing approximately 80 million kWh of energy annually. This is equivalent to meeting the annual energy needs of around 16,000 households. Combined with our waste heat recovery projects, we have achieved an energy substitution rate of 33% at our Bartın plant and approximately 10% at our Narlı plant. These investments have not only strengthened our contribution to environmental sustainability but also improved our cost efficiency.
The sustainability investments we made in 2024 have positioned us even more strongly. We have taken important steps to reduce the use of fossil fuels in cement production, promote alternative fuels such as biomass, and minimize water consumption. Thanks to our water management initiatives, we have successfully recovered and reused 27% of the water used in our plants and 45% in our ready-mix concrete production. Additionally, our R&D efforts to reduce clinker usage continue at full speed.
Looking ahead to 2025, we see an exciting journey before us. By increasing our investments, we aim to meet 100% of our energy needs from renewable sources within the next decade. The new power plants we plan to establish in Kahramanmaraş and İzmir will bring us closer to a future where we fully meet our energy needs with renewable resources.
In line with Türkiye’s 2053 ‘Net Zero’ target, we have set concrete corporate goals for 2026 and 2034, mapping out a clear roadmap. Considering the world’s best practices and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we will focus on six key areas in the long term: occupational health and safety, biodiversity, climate and environmental protection, sustainable cities and construction, stakeholder relations, and supply chain.
With the solar power plants, we established in Ankara, İzmir, and Manisa, we are producing approximately 80 million kWh of energy annually.
Innovation and R&D are another key component of our 2025 strategy. Our work on composite technologies will enable us to develop more environmentally friendly and durable products. Through digitalization projects, we will make our operational processes even more efficient, ensuring both cost advantages and faster service for our customers.
Throughout all these efforts, we always place people at the center of our work. At Çimko, we act not only as a producer but also as a solution partner that adds value to society. With this belief and determination, we are stepping into 2025, aiming to build a stronger future together.
