Energy Efficiency and CO2 Emissions: Prospective Scenarios for the Cement Industry

Cement is a finely ground, non-metallic, inorganic powder which, when mixed with water, forms a paste that sets and hardens. This hydraulic hardening is primarily due to the formation of calcium silicate hydrates as a result of the reaction between water and the constituents of the cement. Cement is a basic material for building and civil engineering. In Europe use of cement and concrete (a mixture of cement, aggregate s, sand and water) in large civic works can be traced back to antiquity. Nowadays, output from the cement industry is directly related to the state of the construction business in general and therefore tracks the overall economic situation closely.