By Ganesh Rajput
The rise in construction and building activities is the primary growth driver for the global green cement market. The demand for these types of cement is being accelerated by uptake of alternative fuels derived from waste materials such as foundry sand, used oils, sewage sludge, solid recovered fuels, filter cakes, animal meals and fly ash. The urgent need to cut down carbon emissions is encouraging usage of these fuels. The market is also gaining an impetus from governments, which are promoting green architecture to ensure sustainable building, which is certified under Leader in Energy and Environment Design (LEED).
The demand for green cement is also soaring as it is known to safeguard the buildings from sulfate attacks and heat stress that is caused due to water and moisture. The superior resistance offered by green cement to several commercial as well as residential construction projects as it contains lesser alkali compound in comparison to OPC is also projected to play an important role in the market’s development. The upcoming projects such as the construction of bridges and pavements, nuclear power plants, and other infrastructural developments are expected to present a plethora of lucrative opportunities to the overall market.
Quality Issues to Impede Market Growth
The strength of green cement has been a topic of debate amongst several end users as it entirely depends on the type of industrial waste used for the manufacturing processes. For instance, usage of low calcium fly ashes is known to compromise the strength in early stages as compared to OPC. In case such cement is used it can lead to product failure. Thus, the uncertainty of the quality of green cement is projected to restrain the growth of the global market in the coming years.
The top five players in the global green cement market held a lion’s share of 51 percent in the overall market in 2015. These leading players are HeidelbergCement AG, China National Building Material, Lafarge S.A., Cemex S.A.B. de C.V., and Taiheiyo Cement Corp. These companies have been focused on strategic mergers and acquisitions to expand their capacity, observed Transparency Market Research.
“Persistent focus on technological developments and product differentiation to add value to products are expected to be one of the winning strategies of these companies,” said the lead author of the research report.
According to the report, the global green cement market is expected to be worth $38.10 billion by the end of 2024 as compared to $14.80 billion in 2025. During the forecast period of 2016 and 2024, the global market is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 11.3 percent.
