The Bolivian government has awarded the US$241m contract to construct a new cement plant in Potosí to a consortium of Germany-based thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions and Spanish companies Imasa and Valoriza (Sacyr Group).

The new plant will be located in the community of Chiutara, 4000m above sea level, making it one of the highest in the world, according to the Service’s of Development of Productive Companies (Sedem).

The consortium is scheduled to the deliver the 1.3Mta plant in 36 months’ time. The works is the second state-owned cement factory and follows a similar factory built in Oruro by the same consortium in 2014.

The Potosí plant is expected to generate 500 direct jobs and a further 3000 indirect jobs, according to official data.