Cementos Dominicanos (Domicen), built at a cost of over US$113.5m by Italian (Colacem) and Dominican investors, was inaugurated by President Leonel Fernandez in Sabana Grande de Palenque, San Cristobal Province, reports Listin Diario. The plant has a production capacity of 1Mta of cement and 850,000t of clinker per year. It will create approximately 250 direct jobs and will have local management. Domicen’s production will reportedly represent one-third of the demand in the DR and that will cause imports to decrease by 50 per cent. The plant will reportedly offer competitive prices and expects that the new competition will cause market prices to drop by between 10-20 per cent. The plant will use equipment brought from China, Europe and the US.