Vietnam is likely to face cement shortage from now to 2010, as local cement producers cannot meet the country’s soaring demand for the product.
The country is expected to be short of 6-8Mt of cement annually in the 2004-2007 period, including 8.7Mt in 2005 alone, according to the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam.
To deal with the situation, Vietnam will intensify clinker imports. Besides, it is speeding up the construction of new cement plants,and focusing on renovating technologies of existing ones.
Vietnam’s demand for cement is predicted to increase to 29.1Mt in 2005, 25.7Mt in 2004, compared to 22.6Mt in 2003. While cement plants in the country now have annual designed capacity of some 23Mt.
