OYAK Cement, one of the most prominent players in the Turkish cement industry, has long contributed to the sector through its active role both nationally and internationally. With its robust production infrastructure, integrated facilities, and strategic logistics networks, the company plays a pivotal role in the sector’s development, standing out with a vision centered on innovation and sustainability. Through its pioneering projects in energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and digitalization, OYAK Cement not only maximizes its production capacity but also elevates its environmental and social responsibilities. As a respected brand representing Türkiye on a global scale, the company makes significant contributions to the industry. The company’s visionary approach, along with its journey in technology and innovation, delivers sustainable solutions that generate both economic and environmental value.
Murat Sela
OYAK Çimento
Country CEO – Türkiye
OYAK Cement has long held a leading position in the Turkish cement industry. In your view, what are the core dynamics of this leadership, and which elements of your vision set the OYAK Cement apart both nationally and internationally?
OYAK Cement’s leading position in the sector is the result of a longterm vision and carefully executed strategic steps. At the foundation of this leadership lie our commitment to operational excellence, our dedication to innovation, our experienced and goal-driven workforce, and our global outlook that consistently drives sustainable growth. With integrated plants, grinding facilities, and ready-mix concrete stations spread across Türkiye, we not only offer a broad production capacity but also create added value through our extensive logistics network and port operations. As Türkiye’s largest cement producer, this strong infrastructure stands as one of our key industry dynamics.
What sets us apart on the international stage is our approach of being a “Global-Local Player.” This approach is driven by our ambition to transfer our domestic expertise into global markets. Our vision is shaped by analyzing global infrastructure needs, urbanization trends, and the growing demand for sustainable construction solutions, which ultimately led us to join forces with TCC Group. Thanks to this merger, we are now part of the world’s third-largest producer. This powerful alliance not only brings scale economies and market diversification but also provides strategic advantages such as technology transfer and financial resilience, thereby reinforcing our leadership. In this way, we continue to elevate the Turkish cement industry to an even stronger position in international markets.
Cement production around the world is receiving increasing attention due to its environmental impact. As OYAK Cement, how do the innovative solutions and sustainability projects you have implemented shape the future of the industry?
The cement sector, by its very nature, is an energy-intensive and carbon-emission-heavy industry. We are fully aware that this makes us one of the sectors most affected by the pressure of the climate crisis. However, we see this not as a risk but as an opportunity, and we believe that companies which embrace the green transformation most rapidly will be the true winners of the future.
At the core of our sustainability strategy lie three main pillars: renewable energy investments, the use of alternative fuels, and digitalization. Through projects such as waste heat recovery (WHR) systems and solar power plants (SPP), we both reduce our energy costs and decrease our carbon emissions. By increasing the use of alternative fuels, we contribute not only to environmental protection but also to the national economy. In addition, our R&D efforts toward the production of green cement with a low clinker content are also ongoing. Beyond reducing environmental impact, these products also provide us with a strong competitive edge in adapting to the increasingly stringent environmental regulations.
As Türkiye’s largest cement producer, you play a pioneering role in integrating digitalization and Industry 4.0 applications into your processes. How is this technological transformation reshaping the company’s performance and competitiveness?
Digitalization and Industry 4.0 stand among the core pillars of our operational excellence and competitive strength. We are enhancing our data management capabilities across all processes—from production to maintenance, from logistics to quality control. This transformation is fundamentally reshaping both our performance and our competitive edge.
One of the most recent and concrete examples of our significant steps in this area is the “IndustrAI – Maintenance Excellence Project” that we launched in collaboration with FIZIX.
At the core of our sustainability strategy lie three main pillars: renewable energy investments, the use of alternative fuels, and digitalization.
With this AI-powered initiative, we can monitor machine health in real time, predict potential failures in advance, and minimize unscheduled downtime. This not only drives substantial cost reductions but also ensures the continuity of our production. At the same time, it improves energy efficiency, contributing directly to our environmental goals. By making our processes more efficient and traceable, digitalization enables us to reduce unnecessary losses.
What do you see as the competitive advantages of the Turkish cement sector in the global market?
Türkiye is one of the world’s most significant markets for cement, both in terms of production and consumption. With an installed capacity of around 118 million tons, it ranks as the world’s second-largest cement exporter. This clearly demonstrates that our country holds an influential position not only regionally but also on a global scale.
One of the key competitive advantages of the Turkish cement sector is its strategic geographical location. Türkiye’s geographic proximity to Europe, Asia, and Africa offers significant logistical advantages. In addition, our industry benefits from a highly skilled workforce. What truly reinforces these advantages is the ability of leading players such as OYAK Cement to combine them with a robust vision for production, technology, and sustainability. Being part of the TCC Group enables us to carry Türkiye’s strength onto the global stage. As a member of a major international group, we contribute to enhancing both Türkiye’s and the sector’s competitiveness worldwide.
How do you incorporate operational efficiency and cost optimization into your strategy? How does this approach contribute to the company’s sustainable growth?
Operational efficiency and cost optimization are not just financial goals for us. Sustainable growth, along with our responsibility to the environment, is also an integral part of our operations. Cement production is an energy-intensive process, which is why we place energy efficiency and circular economy at the core of our strategy. Our renewable energy projects, such as solar power plants (SPP) and waste heat recovery (WHR) systems, reduce costs while also lowering carbon emissions.
By increasing the use of alternative fuels, we decrease the consumption of natural resources and reintegrate waste into the economy. Furthermore, our digitalization investments are making our processes more efficient. This holistic approach makes us a sustainable company not only economically, but also environmentally and socially.
How does OYAK Cement’s approach to R&D and innovation help reinforce its leadership position in the sector? Could you share some of the recent innovative solutions or projects you have developed?
R&D and innovation are among the core elements of our leadership DNA. For us, innovation is not just about developing new products; it means continuously improving our operational processes, production methods, and even our business model. This approach strengthens our position as a leader in the sector.
With a global production capacity of 1.5 million tons across 4 facilities, we are the world’s largest producer of calcined clay. We take pride in playing a leading role at this historic milestone with our calcined clay cement production technology, which is produced with low energy consumption and will reduce approximately 1.2 million tons of CO₂ emissions.
Recently, we have focused on two main areas: digitalization and carbon-reducing products. In the digitalization area, our AI-powered IndustrAI project, developed in collaboration with FIZIX, makes our maintenance processes predictive and proactive, thereby enhancing operational efficiency. Within this pioneering project—the first of its kind to integrate over 10,000 sensors across heavy industry globally—FIZIX’s machine health monitoring technologies allow realtime tracking of equipment conditions at our facilities, enabling early detection of potential failures and minimizing downtime through predictive maintenance. These capabilities lead to reduced emissions, optimized quality, and significant savings in maintenance costs.
We continue to reduce our carbon footprint—a key area of impact in the sector—through next-generation products, technological investments, and efficiency projects. As the first group in Türkiye to set and validate a net-zero target, and with one of the most ambitious reduction plans in Europe, we are rapidly investing in low-carbon building materials to lead environmental transformation. For carbon reduction, we are developing green cement and new-generation products with low clinker content. One of our key initiatives in this area is our global-scale production technology for calcined cement, which emits over 40% less CO₂ and consumes more than 30% less energy compared to conventional cements. With a production capacity of 1.5 million tons across 4 facilities, we are the world’s largest producer of calcined clay. We take pride in playing a leading role at this historic milestone with a technology that will reduce approximately 1.2 million tons of CO₂ emissions. These products not only reduce environmental impact but also provide a significant competitive advantage in the face of increasingly stringent environmental regulations. Moreover, our investments in renewable energy projects, such as waste heat recovery (WHR) systems and solar power plants, remain one of the critical differentiators shaping our current performance.
With several projects nearing their final stages and upcoming launches, we will continue to maintain our sectoral leadership. In today’s environment, where access to AI is increasingly easier and its impact is becoming tangible, we will sustain our transformation journey through the most valuable assets we have; data, knowledge, experience, expertise, and creative ideas.
How would you define the role of corporate culture in OYAK Cement’s success? Which values do you prioritize to carry this culture into the future?
At OYAK Cement, we believe the key driver behind our success is the commitment to “being the best in everything we do.” This principle is shaped by a mindset of never settling for less and constantly striving for improvement.
To maintain and carry this commitment into the future, we emphasize three core values:
Courage and Vision: We are a team that thinks big, makes bold decisions, and follows through on every initiative. Our global expansion is the most tangible evidence of this courage.
Speed and Agility: Our ability to act quickly allows us to seize industry changes and opportunities in a timely manner.
Investment in People: By investing in our greatest asset—our people— we have built multicultural, multinational teams. We ensure our employees develop new competencies in areas such as digitalization and sustainability.
These values have not only transformed our organizational structure but also our corporate culture, elevating us from a local company to a globally recognized leader.
What would you like to share about your management approach and the leadership culture at OYAK Cement?
At the core of my management approach lies the mission of unlocking my team’s potential and inspiring them. The leadership culture at OYAK Cement is shaped by setting the right vision, aligning our team with that vision, and providing them with the necessary resources to achieve it.
Our leadership culture is performance and results oriented while embracing adaptability, sustainability, and innovation.
Being part of the TCC Group enables us to carry Türkiye’s strength onto the global stage. As a member of a major international group, we contribute to enhancing both Türkiye’s and the sector’s competitiveness worldwide.
We always place our employees at the heart of our operations and strive to do our best for their development. One of the most critical steps in our journey toward becoming a global player was strengthening this mindset. We knew that without a team that believes in our vision, is highly skilled, and unconditionally focused on goals, this journey would not be possible. In my vopinion, what truly makes a difference is our employees’ passion and their belief that “nothing is impossible.”
