Ukrainian cement producers are trying to reduce carbon emissions even though the country still lacks a functioning waste management system and a mature alternative fuel market. The industry’s main technical lever is reducing the clinker share in cement, because clinker production is the most carbon-intensive part of the process.
According to the sector association, Ukrainian plants produced 11 types of cement with different clinker content in 2025. The clinker factor decreased slightly compared with the previous year. This may look like a small movement, but for cement production it matters because every tonne of clinker carries a high emissions footprint from both chemical reactions and fuel combustion.
Alternative fuel without a real market
In Europe, cement plants often use refuse-derived fuel as part of a structured waste management chain. In Ukraine, the situation is different: there is no fully functioning waste market or stable regulation that would make RDF supply predictable. Despite this, some producers are already using alternative fuel where possible.
The environmental logic is straightforward. Lower clinker content reduces process emissions, while alternative fuel can reduce the fossil fuel component. But the transition cannot be solved by plants alone. It requires waste sorting, processing infrastructure, quality standards, logistics and regulation that make alternative fuel a reliable industrial input.
For Ukraine, green cement production is not only an environmental issue. Reconstruction will require large volumes of cement and concrete. If domestic producers modernize early, they can supply recovery projects while moving closer to European climate requirements. Without a waste market, however, the industry will have to work harder and pay more for every step of decarbonization.
