Taiheiyo Cement Philippines Inc (TCPI), based in Cebu, has launched its new cement mill and has assured stakeholders it can readily obtain additional clinker should cement demand in the Philippines rise.

TCPI has recently inaugurated its new finish mill at the Cebu plant and will be able to immediately import clinker from various cement plants owned, affiliated and operated by Taiheiyo Cement Corp (TCC) of Japan.

Shuji Fukuda, TCC president, switched on the ceremonial button for the eight cement grinding finish mill, which represent an investment of PHP663m (US$14.1m), to start full commercial operations in San Fernando, Cebu. This facility has increased the capacity of TCPI to produce an extra 1Mta of cement, up from 1.4Mta to 2.4Mta, enabling TCPI to meet no less than nine per cent of the country’s demand for cement by 2016.

“We, in the Taiheiyo Cement Group, have a stronger trading network and (reliable) supply chain in east Asia, compared with the other multi-national cement manufacturers in the Philippines,” said TCPI CEO, Satoshi Asami, at the inauguration ceremony.

“It is a very big advantage that TCPI has many export-ready cement plants (run by) our sister companies in Japan, Korea, China, and Vietnam,” he said. “I believe this total international supply chain makes the new cement supply capacity of TCPI more stable and more reliable,” he pointed out.

TCPI chairman, Ken Kikuchi, said TCC in Japan believes that the Philippines “shows promise in terms of future growth,” reason for the substantial investments the group has poured into Cebu.

The new mill allows TCPI to produce five million bags every month of Grand Portland, Grand Pozzolan, Grand Premium and Grand Masonry cement for Cebu and the rest of central Philippines.

The new finish mill came after Taiheiyo Group invested PHP270m to double the capacity of its port facilities, plus additional investments including the building of a new clinker shed, a 4000t cement silo, two additional packers and upgraded the pre-cement grinding system.