High demand for mineral raw materials
According to recent reports, North Rhine-Westphalia’s wealth of raw materials no longer seems so rich. The Association of the Construction and Raw Materials Industry is complaining about shortages. Gravel and chippings for road construction in particular are in short supply.
North Rhine-Westphalia is considered to be one of the most resource-rich states in Germany. However, unlike renewable raw materials from plant production, mineral raw materials are formed over long periods of time during geological processes and are only available in limited quantities. For this reason, the consumption of raw materials requires sustainability and careful handling. At the same time, NRW is the most populous federal state. It is equipped with a dense road network and has a high demand for mineral raw materials. Production volumes are high and are also linked to the demand for the most efficient productivity possible.
The Verband der Bau- und Rohstoffindustrie e. V. (vero) in Duisburg recently raised the issue of raw material shortages. Gravel and chippings for road construction in particular have become scarce, according to the association’s press statement. There is a great need for road and bridge renovations. But in recent months and years, a lot has already been built, a lot has been asphalted – and the raw material is becoming increasingly scarce. Bernd Löcher, spokesman for the NRW state road authority, is reassuring: “We hear from the companies carrying out the work that there are these problems. But no road construction project is in danger.” Gabriele Schulz, spokeswoman for the Federal Association of Mineral Raw Materials from Cologne, on the other hand, speaks less of a shortage of raw materials and more of an “approval backlog”. The quarries in NRW are working at the limits of their capacity and have long been in need of expansion. However, legal restrictions prevent this; the maximum extraction quantities are prescribed by law. “Entire areas have been declared off-limits,” says Raimo Benger, Managing Director of vero. In addition, there are environmental regulations and competition with agriculture, the energy industry and settlement plans, with which expansion areas compete. The association hopes to find solutions at the interfaces with politics, business, trade unions and environmental associations as well as through increased public relations work and education.