The proposed new business of Brazilian entrepreneur Benjamin Steinbruch, majority shareholder and chairman of steelmaker CSN (Companhia Siderurgica Nacional) is reportedly moving ahead. The cement manufacturing plant that CSN has planned for nearly one year depends only in the final negotiations to determine its location. The company is negotiating the final details with Volta Redonda city government (Rio de Janeiro). In a first stage the project will be limited to the slag and clinker grinding plant and CSN aims to win five per cent of the Southeast region market, comprised of the states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais, which is responsible for more than five per cent of the total consumption of Brazil that amounted to 35Mt in 2004.
The first stage of the project suggests investments of US$42m and production will be of 700,000t, achieving 1.1Mt in the second stage. However, CSN will face big local competitor such as Votorantim Lafarge and Holcim.
