Abstract The cement industry is one of the world’s largest energy consumers. In this work, a walk-through study of representative cement companies was carried out to characterize the energy profile of the cement industry in Colombia, with emphasis on evaluating the degree of obsolescence of the technology used in the processes, as well as identifying the main barriers that prevent the adaptation of more efficient technologies. Perception-surveys were performed among the energy managers to determine the barriers that hinder the implementation of energy efficiency measures. A factor that quantifies the influence of each type of barrier was defined according to the results of the survey. The results show that the Colombian cement industry has a specific energy consumption that is competitive with the largest cement producers in the world, while the technological obsolescence found is at a medium - low level. Furthermore, the main barrier to the penetration of energy efficiency technologies and measures is identified as the hidden costs associated with the implementation of these technologies. Finally, some conventional and emerging technologies are proposed to improve the efficiency of thermal energy use in the processes studied.