Dubai: Cement shortage spurs black market

[phantom power]

DUBAI — A black market for cement, where prices hover upto 60 per cent above the price ceiling fixed by the government, is thriving in the UAE on the back of an acute supply shortfall and rampant hoarding activities.

...While most cement factories in the UAE abide by the official price cap, some leading building materials traders take undue advantage of the supply shortfall to charge up to Dh29 per 50-kilo bag for Ordinary Portland Cement through mostly under-the-table transactions for which no proper cash bills are issued. However, some industry sources said certain cement suppliers are demanding more than Dh400 per tonne as a result of a steep rise in clinker, diesel and manufacturing costs.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=§ion=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2008/July/theuae_July520.xml

[bhikkhu]

1. Cement production is fossil-fuel intensive

Typically coal is burned in the plants, and a couple of years ago I read that cement production was the cause of 17% of carbon dioxide pollution globally. It is likely more now, though I didn't find a number handy.

Looking at where that cement goes -

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4162