Last year, Holcim El Salvador completed the modernisation and reactivation of its Maya cement works. Equipped with Industry 4.0 technology, it has become one of the first facilities to benefit from Holcim’s ‘Plants of Tomorrow’ initiative. Juan Romero, director of Industrial Operations, Holcim El Salvador, explains what it means for Maya to be a digital showcase site, a leader in performance excellence, and a pioneer in Industry 4.0 technologies developed by an expert team of innovators.
ICR: Can you tell us a little about El Salvador’s construction and cement markets – what drives activity, the types of cement consumed, etc?
Juan Romero (JR): 2022 was a year of growth for the construction sector in El Salvador. According to the Salvadorean Chamber of Construction (CASALCO), the expected growth of the sector in 2022, compared to 2021, was around 10 per cent – representing an investment of over US$1500m. A total of 50 per cent of the investment in the construction sector is for public infrastructure projects while the other 50 per cent is in private projects.
