Congo New Cement Co expects profits to double this year amid increasing demand and plans to increase capacity at its Loutete cement works.

Bloomberg reports that the company, a joint venture owned by China Road & Bridge Corp and the Republic of Congo’s government called, expects profit to increase to almost CFA1bn (US$2m) in 2012 from CFA500m last year, Eugene Ngangoue, a director of the company, told reporters today in Brazzaville, the capital.

Production at the company’s plant at Loutete, about 300km (186 miles) south of Brazzaville, may be doubled to 300,000tpa to meet increased demand for the building material, Ngangoue said. Demand is estimated at 650,000tpa and may increase to 1.5Mta by 2015, according to the Industrial Development Ministry.