Cement production in Beremend is 110 years old!

In the South Transdanubia region of Hungary, not far from the Croatian border, the Beremend Factory of Duna Dráva Cement Kft., a subsidiary of HeidelbergCement, is celebrating the 110th anniversary of cement production this year. In addition to respecting the traditions, the production of cement in Beremend is characterised today by industry 4.0 solutions, innovations, continuous developments and world-class technology.

The beginnings

In the early 1900s, the German prince Georg of Schaumburg-Lippe from Bückenburg opened his cement factory on the account of the high-quality limestone source. Later, the already nationalised factory was transformed by developments  after the fifties. One of the major developments was the setup of a 8.5 km long 35 kV long-distance transmission line to modernize power supply, and the existing power transmission equipment was reconstructed in 1950-51. The result of this was machines could be operated with electric drives from that time on.By 1972, the new cement factory was completed. It also had a number of other values at the time, as it contributed to the employment of labourers released from agriculture and to the development of infrastructure: modern social facilities, a workers’ hostel and a housing estate were built in the village. In 2007, DDC embarked on a comprehensive modernisation program in Beremend, which involved the replacement and complete modernisation of the clinker kiln line, which can be considered the soul of cement production. The HUF 15 billion project employing hundreds of people was completed in the spring of 2009.

Plant of the Year in Hungary

DDC’s harmonious cooperation with its environment, its pursuit of sustainability and its environmental protection solutions have been awarded numerous prizes. The latest is the award won at this year’s Plant of the Year competition, where the jury recognized the Beremend factory unit with the first prize in the category Industry 4.0.
On the occasion of the prestigious 110th anniversary, DDC collected memories and stories of the cement production in Beremend, which can be viewed in Hungarian in the video below and in a virtual showroom created on its website.