According to local press, the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation (IMIDRO) is on track to complete construction of the Cerro Azul cement plant, Venezuela, in the next few months. According to IMIDRO’s Managing Director, the contract for the 1 million tpa plant was signed in 2012 but a budget deficit led to delays.
During the last Iranian calendar year, Iran produced almost 70 million t of cement, over 18 million t of which was exported. In the first two months of the current Iranian calendar year (starting 21 March 2014) cement exports increased by 20% y/y to approximately 3.4 million t.
Paul Maxwell-Cook takes a look at the performance of the cement industry in the Middle East, where infrastructure projects are helping to drive demand.
Iran exported some 3.4 million t of cement during the first two months of the current financial year, a 20% y/y increase compared to the same period in 2013.