Cement is obtained from limestone and clay, which are raw materials of natural origin. Extracted from quarries usually located near the cement plants, limestone and clay undergo local primary crushing to reduce their size to be transported to manufacturing plants.

Quarrying is combined with studies of landscape rehabilitation and recovery techniques. Rehabilitated areas may be destined to: farming and development of new crops; rebuilding of ecosystems through revegetation and reforestation; creation of leisure areas, nature parks and gardens; establishment of new industrial, craft or commercial development areas.

The first steps in cement processing are grinding and drying. The raw materials, adequately proportioned and possibly incorporating additives, are ground into a very fine powder, called raw meal, which is then conveyed to blending silos and finally sent to storage.

Raw meal is fed to the kilns and heated to 1,450°C  to obtain clinker. These clinker components bring hydraulic properties to cement. After clinker leaves the kiln it is rapidly cooled and then stored.

The entire cement manufacturing process is continuously monitored and controlled from either small department rooms or a single central control room. All data relating to production as well as quality and environmental controls are displayed 24 hours a day on computer monitors. Skilled technicians are able to promptly identify any possible anomaly or danger and take either corrective or preventive action to regain control of the system.

The final step of the cement manufacturing process consists of grinding clinker blended with gypsum and any other secondary constituents. As a result, a variety of cement for multiple uses can be obtained. The various types of cement are then stored in suitably devised silos.

Loaded into road tankers or packed into bags, cement is dispatched to customers ready for use. It is transported in 25 and 50 kg bags. The process is maintained by conforming in compliance with ongoing regulations and the company's policy for control, maintenance and continuous improvement in the quality of both products and services.

Ciments Français manufactures and distributes three main product lines: cement, aggregates and ready-mixed concrete. We aim to optimize production across all of our markets, providing a complete solution for customers’ needs at the lowest possible cost. This is an approach we call strategic integration of activities.