The Rinker Group says it has started detailed plant engineering after receiving all necessary permits for the construction of a new cement line in central Florida in the United States.   Rinker said construction of the one million tons (900,000t) per annum cement kiln is expected to commence in the second half of next year, subject to final board approval.  
 
The plant involves construction of a second kiln and related equipment, adjacent to the existing 800,000t per annum Rinker Materials cement plant on a 9000-acre site near Brooksville.  The new line will increase Rinker Materials’ cement production in Florida by 50 per cent.  
 
Rinker Materials currently manufactures around 2Mta of cement each year from its two plants in Brooksville and Miami, and imports or purchases locally a further two million tons a year.  "We are confident that the ongoing growth in the Florida market, together with the additional strategic flexibility that this project will provide, will deliver a very satisfactory return on investment," Rinker Group chief executive officer David Clarke said.   Rinker has about 80 per cent of its business in the US, with its major markets of Florida and Arizona benefitting from booming population growth.