Votorantim Cimentos opened its 1.2Mta cement plant in Primavera, Pará yesterday. Votorantim expects the plant to reach 50-60 per cent capacity this year.
The new works cost BRL860m (US$257.9m) and was planned almost five years ago. The new operation is part of Votorantim's expansion plan, aiming to increase its global capacity to approximately 59Mta by year end 2018.
This expansion plan adds to previous investments of BRL12bn (US$3.59bn) made between 2007 and 2015, which resulted in a 94 per cent increase in global production capacity.
Despite estimates that the cement industry will shrink between 12 and 15 per cent in 2016, Votorantim is keeping its expansion plans. Company President, Walter Dissinger said "Votorantim Cimentos has a long-term vision and strategy to expand and diversify into promising markets in the country and abroad."
