Lucky Cement Ltd of Pakistan has set a target date of 20 December 2020 for the start-up of its 1.2Mta greenfield clinker unit, in Samawah, Iraq. Lucky Cement 's Chairman, Muhammad Yunus Tabba, and CEO, Mohammad Ali Tabba, informed the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in a notification of the preferred date for the start-up.

This was possible due to an opening of Pakistan's airspace, which enabled additional workforce for the construction of the preheater/kiln, refractory and electrical works to reach the site ahead of schedule. Furthermore, civil, mechanical and electrical works are in an advanced stage and work is continuing at full pace. During the last three months, two additional shipments from Sinoma for the cement grinding unit also reached the site. Remaining shipments of electrical and instrumental equipment (from China),  a cement packer (from Italy) and a cement gear box (from Germany) are expected to reach at the site in October-November 2020.

Meanwhile, the power plant (one generator set and two WHR boilers) have arrived at the location and are already in the commissioning and testing phase.