According to reports, Surkhancementinvest, a subsidiary of Russia’s Oil and Gas Companies, will commission a 420 000 tpa plant in Uzbekistan by the end of the year. The US$47 million plant will ultimately export up to 60% of its production, in large part to Afghanistan, although domestic demand is on the rise.
Total capacity in Uzbekistan, spread across six plants, amounts to around 6.8 million t, while domestic demand is reported to be about 6 million t. Given this supply/demand balance, new capacity is being brought online, with production increasing by 33% so far this year.
Iran is to construct a 1 million tpa cement plant in Khaton Province, Iran, at an investment cost of US$ 500 million. It is scheduled for completion in one and a half years.