Heidelberg Materials to close Paderborn cement plant in Germany

Heidelberg Materials has decided to permanently close its cement plant in Paderborn. The background is the significant decline in cement sales, driven by weak construction demand in Germany in the current economic conditions. The measure is part of the company’s ongoing optimisation of its European production network. Heidelberg Materials is increasingly aligning its cement portfolio towards low-carbon products, which are produced with lower clinker content in all sites. As customers can now source clinker-reduced cements from Heidelberg Materials throughout the country, the Paderborn plant is losing its unique position within the Group. 

A total of 53 employees is affected by the plant closure. Socially responsible solutions are being developed in close consultation with the workers’ council, including internal transfers to nearby sites within the company. At neighbouring cement plants, such as in Geseke and Ennigerloh, open positions created through early retirement programmes are to be offered to affected employees.

The closure applies exclusively to the cement plant. The activities of Heidelberg Materials’ subsidiary Mineralik in the Paderborn quarry, as well as the operation of the local ready-mixed concrete plant, will remain unchanged.

The Paderborn plant operated the smallest rotary kiln within Heidelberg Materials Germany. Since 2022, this kiln has been used exclusively in trial operation to produce the company’s innovative cement Ternocem®, which holds significantly lower CO₂ emissions than conventional Portland cement clinker. Further development of Ternocem will continue at another site in future.

• About Heidelberg Materials
• Heidelberg Materials is one of the world's largest integrated manufacturers of heavy building materials and solutions with leading market positions in cement, aggregates, and ready-mixed concrete. Around 50,000 employees in almost 50 countries shape our growth path. Drawing on our global advantage, we create synergies in the areas of sustainability, digitalisation, and technical excellence. As the industry’s frontrunner on the path to Net Zero, we enable our customers to lead the way towards a more sustainable future through our growing offering of low-carbon and circular building materials.