For 2018 the Cuban government has set a production target of 118,000t of cement for the 26 Julio cement plant in Nuevitas, Cuba.

Some 78 per cent of this output will be used in the construction of local housing to rebuild and expand the housing stock following tropical cyclones and a lack of maintenance.

The 26 Julio plant has recently invested in the purchase of grinding improvers, which enable grinding output to be increased and made more environmentally-sustainable, according to company director Yanelis Hernández Jiménez.

However, the works has a lack of qualified staff and labour initiatives are under way in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour. Vocational training is also in progress, in conjunction with the Ministries of Education and Higher Education and with the help of the Mario Herrero Toscano de Nuevitas Polytechnic.