Spanish cement factories face closure

Joaquín Estrada, the new chairman of 4303 Oficemen, the Spanish Association of Cement Producers, has said that the cement industry in Spain is currently working at 50% of its installed capacity and as a result some of the sector's 37 factories will have to shut down temporarily.

Estrada, who is also the director general of 643 Cemex España, has not specified any more details. However, official sources from Cemex España are said to have stated that for the moment the cement group's plants at Alicante and Bunol are not due to be affected.

Several cement production plants in Spain are on the verge of shutting down imminently or face closure over the next few months.

Cemex's Alicante plant employs 207 workers and has a potential annual production of 1.13 million tonnes of clinker. At present the factory gets 40% of its energy requirements from alternative sources and the aim over the medium term is to increase this to 70%.