1911-2011 a mini-retrospective: European centenarians

A number of cement plants celebrate their hundred-year anniversaries in 2011, and with this milestone it seems appropriate to acknowledge the contribution of some of these ‘centenarians’ of the cement industry. CemWeek looks at four of Europe’s longest-operating cement plants for a historical perspective on the cement industry and to trace some key developments through the last century.

The 1824 invention of Portland cement as an amalgam of raw materials released cement manufacture from its reliance on natural deposits. Although the two types of product—naturally occuring and Portland cements—at first co-existed, as the 19th century came to a close, building materials technology had advanced such that Portland cement was both advantageous to manufacture and in high demand. The Castillejo plant in Spain, the Odra plant in Poland, Beckum-Kollenbach in Germany and the Wopfinger plant in Austria are among several European plants that trace their operations back to 1911. A century later, each plant is still in operation, an accomplishment that attests to the commitment of plant management, workers, and the surrounding communities.

Read the full story in the August / September issue of the CemWeek Magazine here.

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