Paraguay’s Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC) will switch off its kiln in July to carry out a three-month fuel conversion at its Vallemi plant, according to Jorge Méndez, INC’s CEO. It is expected that the kiln will be fired up again in October, using petcoke instead of the current fuel oil.

At present the company is preparing a call for tender to clinker suppliers for the delivery of around 180,000t of clinker. This would enable the cement producer to continue the production of 50,000-55,000 bags of cement per day while the kiln is out of action.