Benghazi’s Hawari cement factories, in Libya, is being helped to reopen. British consultants met with the city's Mayor Abdelrahman Al-Abaar last week in talks on restarting the stalled factories, reports Libya Herald.

Work is to start on demining work on the premises and its surroundings together with an assessment of the huge damage caused by the extensive fighting that took place in and around the factory.

Plans to rebuild and reopen the two cement factories in Benghazi’s Hawari district had been announced by owners, the Libya Cement Company (LCC), in May this year. The plants had closed in mid-2014 when fighting in the area between Hafter’s Libyan National Army and militants started. For almost two years, the militants effectively controlled the area and it was not until April last year that the cement works were finally recaptured.

It is estimated that it will take at least a year before they can return to production, during which time the sites will have to be made safe, new machinery and parts brought in, new skilled construction workers found and necessary utilities such as electricity and gas restored.

LCC is 90 per cent owned by the Joint Libyan Cement Company (JLCC), itself a joint venture between Asamar Libya and the Economic and Social Development Fund (ESDF).