UK CEMENT production has plunged to a record low, prompting a stark warning from the industry’s trade body that the sector is “increasingly under threat”.

Data published by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) reveal UK manufacturers produced 7.3m t of cement in 2024, down from 9.2m t ten years ago. The MPA says 2024 production was half the 1990 level and the lowest since 1950. Production of clinker – the kiln-fired blend of clay and limestone that forms the precursor to cement – fell at a similar rate, from 7.8m t in 2015 to 6.4m t.

The MPA also said that ready-mix concrete sales hit historic lows in the second quarter of 2025.

UK cement sales remained relatively stable from 2015 to 2024, rising from 11.6m t in 2015 to a peak of 12.4m t in 2021, before dipping to 11m t in 2023. In the same period, cement imports increased from 2m t to 3.6m t. Cement imports have nearly tripled over the past two decades, rising from 12% of UK sales in 2008 to 32% in 2024.

The MPA argues that cement imports are unnecessary, given the UK’s abundant limestone reserves, the key feedstock for domestic production. Instead, the group argues high industrial energy costs in the UK are mostly to blame for the industry’s decline, as well as uneven carbon taxation systems between countries. Executive director Diana Casey said: “Cement is an essential industry, but the sector is increasingly under threat.

“We’re calling on the government to help put domestic production on a level playing field so that it can compete fairly with imports.”

Concrete plans

The MPA has stressed that key UK ambitions – including construction of the Sizewell C nuclear power station and 1.5m new homes by 2029 – depend on a stable, reliable supply of cement. Sizewell C is estimated to require up to 750,000 t of cement, while a typical four-bedroom house needs around 3–5 t.

Casey added: “Cement quite literally underpins the nation’s growth and we cannot deliver new homes, schools, hospitals, transport links or clean energy infrastructure without it.

“The UK has a choice: to build these vital development projects with UK-made cement, or to build them with imports – sending jobs, investment and economic growth overseas.”

The government’s industrial strategy, published in June, promised to “provide continued relief on electricity prices for materials sectors like cement”. One measure was the expansion of the British Supercharger scheme – introduced by the previous government – to raise compensation for energy-intensive manufacturers, increasing the proportion they can reclaim from electricity grid fees from 60% to 90%. The scheme also exempts some energy-intensive businesses from paying costs associated with renewable energy obligations.

A government spokesperson said: “We recognise the cement sector faces challenges which is why our modern industrial strategy is increasing support for energy-intensive firms through our Supercharger scheme, which will slash energy prices for eligible businesses.”