Azerbaijan readies itself to export cement by 2014

The government of Azerbaijan has said that by 2014 the country will be exporting 25 per cent of the cement it produces as new capacity comes on-stream in the coming years.

President Ilham Aliyev said that domestic production covers 44 per cent of domestic demand, by 2013 this figure will reach 75 per cent, and by 2014 production will supass demand to 125 per cent.

"As a result, in two years due to construction of new cement plants, Azerbaijan will be able to export 25 per cent of cement produced. Demand for cement in the world markets is growing, and there will be no problems with its sales," Aliyev said.

Holcim is currently expanding the Garadagh cement plant, which is situated 35km from the capital of Baku. It is upgrading the plant from wet to dry-process technology whereby clinker capacity will increase from 2616tpd to 4000tpd (or 1.3Mta to 1.7Mta). Shortly before the end of last year, Garadagh Cement produced its first clinker.

Meanwhile, Gyzyldash Cement will begin construction of a 5000tpd clinker plant (2Mta cement) in shortly.  A contract has been signed by Azerbaijan with Norm LLC and a consortium consisting of China Triumph International Engineering Co (CTIEC) and Japanese Mitsubishi Corporation for the turnkey construction of the plant.