EY produced a report on The cement industry of the Customs Union 2014 – 2015 and presented the results during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. Evgeny Khrustalev from EY said that factors including the drive to improve efficiency and productivity, source alternative raw materials and fuel, for example, are important to trying to forecast the development of the sector.

Discussing the report, Mikhail Skorokhod, President of the Eurocement Group, said he was in agreement with its findings, including the need for a development strategy for the cement industry in Russia and the countries of the Customs Union. He said that the cement industry cannot develop successfully without looking at how to place capacity in regions where there are shortages and to manage production according to demand. Cement consumption in Russia is expected to be 78 million t this year and 93 million t by 2018. A well thought-out strategy is necessary to meet that demand.