Siam Cement eyes Myanmar investment

Thailand’s Siam Cement Group (SCG) said it is studying the possibility of investing in a cement plant in Myanmar, company President and CEO, Kan Trakulhon said.

Mr Trakulhoon was quoted by the Bangkok Post as saying that SCG has been studying options in the neighbouring country for almost two year years now. "Still, the investment depends on the Myanmar government's investment promotion policies and the policy on limestone mine ownership," Mr Kan said. SCG currently exports cement to Myanmar.

About 10 cement factories operated in Myanmar prior to 2010, over half of which were government entities. These could produce about 2Mta in a good year, about 80 per cent of original nominal capacity. In 2009-10, 2Mta of additional capacity came online with a significant proportion in private hands.

Cement demand in the country has tripled over the past decade to 4Mta, with the change of lifestyle in modern times and building of infrastructure driving demand.