Lafarge Republic Inc. (LRI) has reopened its cement plant in Danao City, Cebu, the Philippines this week, after a capacity expansion project that brings production to 650 000 tpa. This is not the only expansion project being undertaken by LRI, which is also planning to increase cement production at the Luzon plant to 200 000 t and at Iligan to 100 000 t of cement this year.
Cement demand in the Philippines is expected to increase over the coming years as the government invests in infrastructure projects around the country. Consumption grew by 3 million t last year, reaching 18 million t in total, and that figure is expected to rise again this year on the back of significant demand from the construction sector. In Cebu in particular, investments in the commercial and residential building sectors are on the up.
LRI’s total capacity now stands at an estimated 6.2 million t from six plants around the country. The Danao plant was initially built in the 1960s and was acquired by Lafarge/Blue Circle in 2001.
Edited from various sources by Katherine Guenioui.