President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia has officially inaugurated Semen Tonasa’s Line V project and power plant in Pangkajene Island District, South Sulawesi.

Semen Tonasa, which is part of Semen Indonesia group of companies, invested US$289m in this fifth line which has a capacity of 8000tpd. The project has added 2.5Mta of volumes to Tonasa’s cement portfolio, bringing its  total capacity to 7Mta. New equipment, supplied by some of Europe’s leading technology providers, spanned raw material preparation right through to cement packing and loading facilities. A 2 x 35MW coal-fired power plant also formed part of the project, at a cost of US$123m.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, President Yudhoyon expressed his confidence on the outlook for the Indonesian cement industry. "Following thorough preparations that have been made, the opportunity for our cement industry in the future will get brighter,” he said.