China’s State Development and Investment Corporation (SDIC) has continued its plans for international expansion by expressing its intention to invest US$200 million in a new cement plant in Indonesia. The cement plant would be based in the province of West Papua, an area that has also attracted the attention of Anhui Conch Cement Company Ltd. With domestic demand increasing, the attention of cement companies is not directed to West Papua alone. Lafarge, for example, has had a particular presence in Indonesia, investing in rebuilding projects following the 2004 tsunami.
According to reports, the state-owned SDIC plans to begin the project in 2013 and it is estimated that it will have an output of around 1 million tpa. Local reports have suggested that the new plant will help to lower the currently high cost of cement in the area, which will in turn stimulate consumption.