The board of directors of Oman Cement Company (OCC) has endorsed a proposal to go ahead with the company’s plan to upgrade its clinker production capacity to 1.8Mta instead of the initially proposed 1.26Mta.

OCC CEO Jamal Shamis Al Hooti said: "With this increase in the capacity of two kilns to produce 1.8Mt of clinker, OCC will be able to produce 1.9Mt of cement per year."

"The project is expected to be completed by end of next year. The new cement mill, which is expected to be ready for commercial production by September 2006, will have a capacity to produce 1Mta of cement. The company’s grinding capacity will thus increase to 2.5Mta of cement," Al Hooti said.

The unaudited profit after tax for the period ended April 30, 2006, is RO6.605m as compared to RO5.755m during the corresponding period of last year.