Cimenterie Nationale increases capacity

New facilities to meet expected surge in exports

Local cement manufacturer Cimenterie Nationale will initiate engineering studies to establish a new production line in its main facility in Chekka.

The new production line will replace old equipment and increase production capacity to 5,000 tons of clinker daily, totaling two million tons of cement annually.

Pierre Doumet, Chairman of Cimenterie Nationale, said: “Consumption in the local market is still strong, and exports to neighboring countries in the region will definitely surge.”

He said the company is equipping its new production lines with high-tech machines to meet this demand. It will apply specific standards that limit emissions and reduce power consumption.

Cimenterie Nationale will finance its expansion through a bank loan. The cost of the new production line could reach $150 million according to Doumet.

The company delivered around 2.1 million tons of cement to the local market in 2012, a 4.5 percent drop from 2011. Total cement deliveries to the local market from all local companies reached 5.3 million tons in 2012.

Cimenterie Nationale exports its products mainly to Syria, the northern part of Cyprus, Egypt, and southern Europe. The company’s exports reached 0.45 million tons in 2012.