Cement production by 12 state-owned cement works under Algeria’s industrial cement group, GICA, is expected to reach 29Mt by 2020, according to the CEO of Centre of Research and Technical Services of Building Material Industry (CETIM).

“GICA group’s investment programme in the next eight years worth more than US$4bn is aimed at increasing production capacities of some cement works and building new ones,” Abdennour Adjtoutah said at the sidelines of building fair, BATIMATEC.

With the addition of 17.5Mt of new capacity, production by the public sector plants will hit 29Mt, he told Algeria Press Service.

Mr Adjtoutah said studies had been finalized and tender notices published to increase production. New cement works would be built in the southern provinces of Bechar, Adrar and Tamanrasset, he added. A project in Djelfa between the GICA group and Egypt’s ASEC Cement is also being discussed, Mr Adjtoutah noted.