MOSCOW, April 15. /TASS/. Cement consumption growth in Russia continues for thirteen months in a row, Executive Director of the Soyuzcement union of cement producers Darya Martynkina told TASS.
"The increase in cement consumption in Russia continues for thirteen months in succession. This figure gained 8% in the first quarter of 2024 against the like period in 2023, from 10,427 thousand metric tons of cement to 11,256 thousand metric tons respectively," she said.
Cement industry development prospects during the next decade are associated with infrastructural construction in the first instance, Martynkina noted. "Development of infrastructure in Russia still does not correspond to long-term economic tasks and society needs. For example, the level of road network coverage in our country and the level of transport mobility are insufficient; high-speed motorways are close to none," she said.
Huge volumes of cement will also be required for the planned construction of the North Siberian railway, the upgrade of 75 airports by 2030, construction and upgrade of seaports, development of the Eastern Range railway and the M-12 highway planned to be extended to Yekaterinburg in this year and then to Omsk, Novosibirsk, and Vladivostok.
Extension of the "Family Mortgage" and maternity capital by 2030, special terms of "Family Mortgage" for small cities, and the program of university campuses creation in Russia are other factors, the expert said. "Grounds are in place to have a rather optimistic estimate on the whole for the construction market and the cement market," she added.
SMPRO analytical agency reported earlier that July accounted for maximal cement consumption in Russia, which reached 7.373 mln metric tons.