DR Congo: Pakistan-based cement producer Lucky Cement has announced plans to begin construction of a US$240m plant in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in June 2013. Lucky Cement has a 50-50 agreement with the Rawji Group, a banking company, to start production via a company called Nyumba Ya Akiba (NYA), according to Reuters.
"Now's the time to reconstruct a country that was destroyed by civil war," said Sajid Feroze, NYA's chief financial officer.
The proposed factory, to be located around 250km from the capital Kinshasa, is due to come online in late 2015 and will produce 1.2Mt/yr, more than double the current total production in Congo. The country currently consumes just 15kg/capita/yr. Neighbouring Angola uses 300kg/capita/yr and the global average is 400kg/capita/yr said Feroze.
Earlier in May 2013, South African cement firm PPC announced it would build a US$200m cement plant in Congo.