FCB ciment has recently signed an agreement with the Qatar National Cement Company, QNCC, for the construction of a new QR581 million plant, designed to produce 1.2Mt of clinker per year. QNCC currently owns two plants, with production capacity of around 1Mta of cement, but imports additional supplies to meet a current shortfall in the market. The new kiln is to be fully operational within 27 months; however, in the interim, a new mill will be completed to produce 500,000 tonnes of cement per year using imported clinker. A second, similar mill will be ready by the middle of 2006.