Cementos Artigas has started up its new grinding and dispatch plant in Minas, Uruguay. The US$40m investment represents significant improvements in terms of cost efficiency and environmental performance and will bring the company’s total cement production capacity to 0.67Mta.  

The new plant includes a new high-efficiency vertical cement mill, a multi-compartment silo and a high-productivity bulk dispatch facility. This will allow the company to expand its product portfolio while reducing its carbon footprint.

The project was carried out in the last 18 months, providing up to 300 jobs in the construction phase. As a result of the improved environmental performance, job creation, decentralisation and innovation, the investment benefits of tax exemption under the country’s Investment Law.

Federico Gutiérrez, general director of operations at Cementos Artigas, said that: “This new investment allows us to continue being the largest, most competitive cement company, but, above all, the most sustainable in the country. The new cement mill consumes up to 40 per cent less energy than the previous one, and by centralising logistics in Minas, we will reduce our CO2 emissions associated with freight. We continue to make products with the lowest carbon footprint in the country, hand in hand with this investment and the multiple circular economy programs that we have been developing for several years.”

The project located at a distance of 100km from the capital, Montevideo, will be complemented by a modern logistics centre and offices in the metropolitan area.