Have you wondered how cement plants will be in the future?  For those of us in this industry it is crucial to know what changes there will be, because it may depend our survival, professional success or failure. This is my opinion about the future:

1. Key Performance Indicator. - During the next 20 years CO2 emissions will be the most important thing in the operation and design of a cement plant factor. This demand will come not only from international organizations related to climate change, in this case the customers, government and community will require that "the cement plants be green".

2. Plant Capacity .- Today cement goes so far as demand, production costs and transport permit, in the future they will be based on the kg CO2/kg Cement. In order to decrease the CO2 generated by transport, plant size will depend on the demand for cement in a radius no greater than 300 km. (With some exceptions).

3. Level of Automatization .- In order to compete on cost and reduce emissions, in less than 10 years, the operating efficiencies of all plant equipment shall be of at least 95%. This means that all areas will be fully automated and that the level of maintenance should be excellent.

4. Standardization of Equipment .- During the next 10 years large cement companies will standardize all equipment, possibly in 4 plant sizes: 4, 6, 8 and 10 kton Clinker. This will allow them to reduce their costs and inventory levels of spare parts.

5. Plant areas. - Plants will be divided into three major areas: Cement Production, Control of CO2 emissions and renewable electricity generation.

6. Control of CO2 emissions. - Over the next 10 years, efforts to reduce CO2 emissions will be concentrated on: reducing the calorific consumption, the use of alternative fuels and the production of cements with additions. In 2020 other types of cement and CO2 neutral technologies will appear. By 2030 50% of the plants will be 100% green.

7. Generation of green electricity. – The efforts of the next 10 years will focus on reducing electricity consumption and waste heat recovery. In 2030 80% of the plants will have a system for waste heat recovery. By 2040 all cement plants are using only electricity from renewable sources, possibly wind power.

8. Modernization .- For the next 30-35 years will cement plants transformed to an unprecedented rate, for example at all times at least there will be a major project in every plant. This generated a great demand for Planning, Project and Commissioning Personnel.

9. Research and Development. - Cement companies that survive all these changes will be those that have a strong research system: either through their own research centres, partnerships with universities or agreements with leading manufacturing cement companies.

10. Specialist Personnel. - Staff of cement plants will become increasingly specialized. The plants should include experts in: instrumentation and control, maintenance planning, process, renewable energy and energy saving.

11. Support People. – It will need it have an excellent internal and or external support in the areas of recruitment, selection, training and continuous improvement. Retention of talent will be a great challenge for those responsible of Human Resources.

12. New Schemes of investment. - The high cost of all these changes and the support systems will force to cement companies to seek other sources of funding. One possibility is that the cement plants operate by a franchise scheme. Thus the franchisor manages the plant under the name of the cement company, who determines the specifications of equipment, operation, etc. with the franchisor paying for the investment of machinery and land. In this way the cement companies could liberate resources.