TURKEY AND CHINA’S CEMENT SECTORS WILL ACT JOINTLY FOR GREEN TRANSFORMATION

Strategic Cooperation Between TÜRKÇİMENTO and the China Cement Association

TÜRKÇİMENTO and the China Cement Association have taken an important step toward strengthening cooperation in line with low-carbon and digital transformation goals in the cement sector.

During the meeting, representatives of the China Cement Association (CCA) and TÜRKÇİMENTO management came together to evaluate the current state of the cement sectors in both countries, transformation strategies, and potential areas for future joint initiatives.

The meeting was attended by TÜRKÇİMENTO Chairman of the Board Adil Sani Konukoğlu; President of the Cement Employers’ Association (ÇEİS) and Vice Chairman of the TÜRKÇİMENTO Board Nihat Özdemir; TÜRKÇİMENTO CEO Volkan Bozay; Secretary General of ÇEİS Serdar Şardan; and Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the China Cement Association, Wang Yutao.

In his remarks, Chairman of the Board Adil Sani Konukoğlu expressed his pleasure at hosting the officials of the China Cement Association in Antalya on behalf of TÜRKÇİMENTO. He underlined that relations with China—home to nearly half of global cement production—have been maintained from past to present. Konukoğlu also emphasized that combining Türkiye’s strategic location, strong export infrastructure, and modern production capacity with China’s expertise in technological and digital transformation would create significant synergy.

Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the China Cement Association Wang Yutao stated that he was pleased to meet with TÜRKÇİMENTO officials. He highlighted that the China Cement Association is implementing a national transformation strategy focused on digitalization, automation, and artificial intelligence integration within the sector. In this context, he noted that by 2027, the goal is for 70% of companies to fully automate their production processes, while at least 20% are expected to reach an advanced level of digital transformation maturity. He also shared that 295 factories in China have already been awarded “green plant” status.

During the meeting, the update and expansion of the goodwill agreement signed between the two associations in 2011 was also discussed. Accordingly, a consensus was reached on establishing a new and more comprehensive framework for pilot projects, joint training programs, technology and trade fair cooperation, and expert exchange programs.

This cooperation is expected to provide a competitive advantage to the Turkish cement sector, particularly in relation to the ETS (Emissions Trading System) and CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) processes.

At the end of the meeting, the China Cement Association officially invited TÜRKÇİMENTO representatives to the 27th China International Cement Industry Exhibition (CEMENTTECH), to be held in Fuzhou on 13–15 May 2026. It is also planned that technical seminars, workshops, and sectoral events to be organized in Türkiye in the coming period will be jointly held by the two institutions.

This strategic rapprochement is expected to generate significant gains in the fields of sustainability, digital transformation, and green cement and concrete technologies, and to serve as a model example on a global scale.