CBAM for cement: why actual data is worth twice as much
For grey Portland cement from Türkiye there is no country-specific default value. Without actual data the 'other countries' value of 1.440 tCO₂e/t applies, well above what efficient plants emit.
Indirect emissions count
Unlike steel and aluminium, CBAM for cement includes indirect emissions from electricity use.
High default, high mark-up
On top of the 1.440 tCO₂e/t default comes a mark-up of 10 % in 2026, rising to 30 % from 2028. The Commission is expected to update the cement defaults.
Clinker and cement are separate goods
Clinker has its own CN code and benchmark. Imported clinker used in EU grinding plants is covered as well.
Your sector in numbers
CBAM cost per tonne for goods from Türkiye, based on the EU default value and benchmark at the Q3 2026 certificate price (€82.32/tCO₂e).
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| EU default value (Türkiye) | 1.440 tCO₂e / tonne |
| with the 10 % mark-up in 2026 | 1.584 tCO₂e / tonne |
| Benchmark | 0.666 tCO₂e / tonne |
| Cost per tonne in 2026 | €76.94 |
| Cost per tonne in 2030 | €125.87 |
| Cost per tonne once free allocation ends (2034) | €154.10 |
Worked example
An importer buying 50,000 tonnes of grey Portland cement a year from Türkiye.
Where do the emissions come from?
Most emissions come from calcination; fuel mix and clinker ratio are the levers a producer controls.
- Calcination: process CO₂ from limestone
- Kiln fuels: coal, petcoke, alternative fuels and biomass share
- Clinker-to-cement ratio and supplementary materials
- Electricity for mills and kiln fans (indirect emissions)
- Purchased clinker (precursor)
What CO₂ Manager and our team do
Clinker and cement values
Embedded emissions per tonne of clinker and of each cement type, with purchased clinker as a precursor.
Supplier data in one place
Collect plant data from your suppliers, check biomass shares and see where defaults are used.
EU ETS for your own plant
If you operate a cement or grinding plant in the EU: monitoring data, allocation figures and verification trail.
One dataset for all requests
CBAM, ISO 14064-1 and customer requests from the same data.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no Turkish default value?
The Commission uses the 'other countries' value where country data was insufficient. The safest route is a declaration based on verified supplier data.
Do alternative fuels lower CBAM costs?
Biomass CO₂ counts as zero, so fuels with a high biomass share reduce embedded emissions, provided the biomass content is documented.
We import clinker, not cement. Is the estimate valid?
The estimator covers grey Portland cement. For clinker you can enter your own value for an approximate result; the exact benchmark differs.
First your obligations, then your costs
Find out in two minutes whether EU ETS or CBAM applies to you, then calculate the carbon cost for your product and volume. We help you replace estimates with real data.
Sources: Regulation (EU) 2023/956; Implementing Regulations (EU) 2025/2620, 2025/2621 and 2026/1740; European Commission CBAM certificate price (Q3 2026); Directive 2003/87/EC (EU ETS). All figures are indicative. European Commission: CBAM · European Commission: EU ETS