Taiwan Cement to invest in strengthening position in China

Taiwan Cement Co (TCC) is to invest TWD9bn (US$300m) annually over three years in China to achieve a production capacity of 100Mta by 2016, according to the company’s head.

Chairman, Leslie Koo, said TCC’s investment this year will focus on second-phase plant construction in Anshun, Guizhou province in China, Taiwan Economic News reported.

While Chinese cement demand has lagged of late due to the effects of the European sovereign debt crisis and domestic macroeconomic controls, Koo highlighted that faster approval of infrastructure projects and restored high-speed railway construction, the cement industry is expected to see a turnaround in the second half of the year. To keep a leading regional position, Koo said, TCC will steadily improve production capacity in China and strengthen its market share through mergers and acquisitions.

Furthermore, rising public construction projects in Taiwan, including tunnel reconstruction of Suhua Highway, phase two construction of the Intercontinental container centre in Kaohslung Harbour and the expansion of the Linkou power plant, are lifting domestic demand at home.