32% Rise in Iran's Cement, Clinker Exports

EghtesadOnline: More than 17.5 million tons of cement and clinker were exported from Iran in the last fiscal year (March 2019-20), registering a 32% growth compared with the previous year, according to the head of Cement Employers Association.

News ID: ۷۴۹۹۵۷

03 May 2020

“Cement accounted for 6.7 million tons and clinker for 10.8 million tons of the total sum. Our main export destinations over the period were Iraq, Kuwait, China, Bangladesh, India, the littoral states of Persian Gulf and Central Asian countries,” Abdolreza Sheikhan was also quoted as saying by Mizan Online.

Clinker is a solid material produced in the process of manufacturing Portland cement as an intermediary product. It occurs as lumps or nodules, usually 3-25 millimeters in diameter. It is produced by sintering (fusing together without melting to the point of liquefaction) limestone and aluminosilicate materials such as clay during the cement kiln stage.

Portland cement clinker is made by heating a homogeneous mixture of raw materials in a rotary kiln at high temperature. Portland cement clinker is ground to a fine powder and used as a binder in many cement products. A little gypsum is sometimes added. It may also be combined with other active ingredients or chemical admixtures to produce other types of cement.

A total of 60.3 million tons of cement and 66 million tons of clinker were produced in Iran last year, showing a 9% and 6.9% rise compared with the year before, the official noted.

According to Sheikhan, Iran is the world’s sixth biggest exporter of cement chain products, IRNA reported.

“Iran's cement production capacity stands at 87.5 million tons per year,” he said.

According to Jafar Sarqeini, former deputy industries minister, Iran aims to increase its cement production capacity to 100 million tons by 2021 and to 120 million tons by 2025.

Iran was ranked seventh biggest producer of cement in the world in 2019, with a production of 60 million tons. The country was previously the world’s eighth biggest cement producer with 58 million tons, as Turkey was the seventh biggest producer with 72.5 million tons.

However, as Turkey decreased its production in 2019, Iran took the seventh place, Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization cited the United States Geological Survey as reporting.

According to the report, global cement production increased from 4.05 billion tons in 2018 to 4.1 billion tons in 2019.

China was the world’s biggest cement producer last year with 2.2 billion tons, posting no change compared to 2018. It was followed by India with 320 million tons, registering an increase of 20 million tons compared to 2018.

Vietnam was the third biggest cement producer in the world in 2019 with 95 million tons, up by 4.8 million tons year-on-year.

Next were the US with 89 million tons, Egypt with 76 million tons and Indonesia with 74 million tons.

Iran was the seventh biggest producer with 60 million tons, followed by Russia with 57 million tons, Brazil and South Korea each with 55 million tons, Japan with 54 million tons and Turkey with 51 million tons.

Clinker, if stored in dry conditions, can be kept for several months without an appreciable loss of quality. Because of this, and because it can easily be handled by ordinary mineral handling equipment, clinker is traded internationally in large quantities.

Cement manufacturers purchasing clinker usually grind it as an addition to their own clinker at their cement plants. Manufacturers also ship clinker to grinding plants in areas where cement-making raw materials are not available.