Feasibility analysis of manufacturing high performance—ecological—cement in Turkey

Abstract

The world production of cement has significantly increased in recent years due to the growing demand. This trend in the production increase is one of the most significant factors effecting the technological development in cement industry and updating its manufacturing facilities. Unfortunately, the existing technology for the production of cement clinker has adverse ecological effects, such as consumption of much energy and natural resources and emission of a number of pollutants. The production of blended or High Volume Mineral Additive cement, thus High Performance Cement, increases the compressive strength of ordinary cement and improves the durability of cement-based materials, permitting the utilization of high volume of inexpensive mineral additives or industrial by-products. Thus, higher strength, better durability, reduction of both pollution and energy consumption at the clinker production stage and decrease in the landfill area required by industrial by-products, all provide ecological advantages for high performance cement. In this study, a feasibility analysis was carried out for Turkish cement manufacturers to demonstrate that it is profitable for the cement manufacturers to invest in high performance cement manufacturing. The effects of various parameters on the investment such as sale price, loan amount, interest rate, expected rate of return, etc. were also studied.