The Swiss building materials company Holcim is exemplary of a dilemma facing the entire construction industry: global demand for cement is rising, while at the same time commitments to CO₂ reduction are becoming stricter. Cement production is considered one of the largest industrial CO₂ emitters worldwide. Holcim's strategic response to this conflict has far-reaching consequences for construction machinery manufacturers – because the transformation to green cement fundamentally changes production processes, logistics chains and material flows.
Green cement production demands new machine technology
Decarbonizing cement production concretely means increased use of alternative fuels, the integration of recycled materials as aggregates, and the relocation of production steps. For construction sites on the ground, this means: materials must be processed, transported and handled differently. The classical supply chain of primary materials is replaced by more complex circular processes.
This becomes particularly relevant for operators of crushing plants and screening plants. Holcim is driving the use of recycled concrete debris as aggregate – a trend that requires mobile and stationary processing plants with higher throughput rates and more precise grain size control. Manufacturers such as Kleemann and Sandvik already have plants in their portfolio optimized for processing secondary materials.
Electric drives: From niche to standard
With the focus on CO₂ reduction, the emission balance of construction machinery used also comes into focus. Holcim is increasingly requiring its contractors and partners to use less emissions-heavy machinery fleets. This accelerates demand for electric excavators and battery-powered wheel loaders. Manufacturers such as Volvo Construction Equipment with their electric compact machinery family or Caterpillar with the 320 Electric benefit directly from this development.
However, the requirements go beyond pure drive technology. Emission-free construction sites require charging infrastructure, adapted operational planning, and often a higher number of smaller machines instead of fewer large equipment. Operators must rethink their fleet strategies – a situation that also upgrades compact machinery classes and opens up new sales opportunities for manufacturers such as Wacker Neuson or Kubota.
Hybrid drives as bridging technology
For heavy-duty applications in quarries and material extraction, pure battery solutions are still of limited practical feasibility. This is where hybrid drives are gaining importance. Komatsu and Liebherr already offer tracked excavators with hybrid technology that significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions. This interim solution allows operators to improve their emissions balance without sacrificing the performance of conventional diesel-hydraulic systems.
Alternative fuels: Logistics becomes the bottleneck
Holcim's switch to alternative fuels in cement production – such as processed waste, biomass or substitute fuels – changes the upstream process chains. Processing these fuels requires specialized comminution and sorting technology. Shredder and sorting manufacturers such as Arjes or specialized providers of jaw crushers and impact crushers are facing new requirements for material purity and grain size distribution.
At the same time, the need for transport logistics is increasing: alternative fuels must be transported from decentralized collection points to cement plants. This increases demand for articulated dump trucks and tipper trucks – especially those with efficient drives and low tare weight to optimize transport costs per ton.
Recycling and circular economy: New business models emerge
Holcim's strategy of increasingly relying on recycled aggregates fundamentally changes value chains in the construction sector. Concrete debris, which used to be deposited, is now processed into high-quality recycling material. This requires not only more crushing plants, but also a sophisticated processing chain with multiple stages: from hydraulic breakers for pre-crushing via mobile jaw crushers to stationary cone and impact crushers for fine processing.
In particular Kleemann, a subsidiary of the Wirtgen Group, has positioned itself here with mobile complete solutions. The combination of crushing and screening technology on a chassis allows flexible deployment directly on demolition sites. Metso also offers mobile solutions with its Lokotrack series, which can increasingly be equipped with electric or hybrid drives – another building block for the low-emission construction site.
Sorting and separation technology becomes critical
The quality of recycled material depends largely on the separation of different fractions. Modern sorting grabs and sensor-based sorting systems become the critical success factor. Manufacturers of attachments and material handling excavators such as SENNEBOGEN benefit from this development. Their machines are specially designed for material handling and offer the necessary flexibility for complex sorting processes.
Compaction and quality control: Higher requirements due to new mixtures
Cement with modified raw material mixtures – for example with higher proportions of limestone flour or pozzolanic materials – also changes the properties of concrete produced from it. For processing on the construction site, this means adapted compaction procedures. Compaction rollers and vibrating plates must be used more precisely to achieve the required quality standards.
Manufacturers such as BOMAG and HAMM are responding to this with intelligent compaction systems that provide real-time data on material density. These technologies are becoming increasingly relevant when building materials are composed more variably and quality assurance can no longer be based solely on empirical values. Quality control in compaction becomes an integral part of modern construction site processes.
Digitalization as enabler: Telematics and fleet management
The increasingly complex process chains require closer integration of all parties involved. Telematics systems for fleet control and utilization monitoring are no longer optional, but necessary to ensure the efficiency of machinery fleets. Manufacturers such as Caterpillar with Cat Connect or Liebherr with LiDAT offer comprehensive digital platforms ranging from machine data to maintenance forecasts.
For operators, this means: investment in hardware goes hand in hand with integration into digital ecosystems. Machines become data producers whose evaluation unlocks optimization potential – whether in fuel efficiency, maintenance planning, or operational coordination across multiple construction sites.
Winners and losers: Market shifts are emerging
The transformation to greener cement accelerates trends that were already in place. Manufacturers who invested early in electric or hybrid drives are gaining market share. Volvo CE and Caterpillar have first-mover advantages here. At the same time, specialized providers of recycling and processing technology such as Kleemann or Sandvik are benefiting.
On the other hand, manufacturers are coming under pressure if they rely exclusively on conventional diesel technology or do not have solutions for mobile processing in their portfolio. Market consolidation is likely to accelerate, as smaller providers without their own R&D capacities for alternative drives or digital platforms will lose ground.
Outlook: Green cement as a driver of machinery transformation
Holcim's decarbonization strategy is not an isolated phenomenon, but an expression of broader change in the building materials industry. Other major cement manufacturers are pursuing similar goals, driven by regulatory requirements, investor pressure and customer demand. For construction machinery manufacturers, this means a multi-year investment phase in new drive technologies, digital services and specialized processing technology.
The winners of this transformation process will be those who early recognized that sustainable construction processes require not only different building materials, but also different machines. The close integration of material management, machine technology and digital control becomes standard – and redefines what efficient construction execution means.
