Cement plants expanded

JAKARTA (JP): Two private cement companies will conduct expansion projects with total investments of US$459 million, in a bid to raise their combined production capacity by 3.8 million tons per annum.

With its $309 million expansion project, PT Semen Nusantara, which will start constructing a new production unit with an annual capacity of 2.5 million tons next March, will be able to produce 4.1 million tons per annum in 1996, the company's president, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, said on Tuesday night.

Sudwikatmono of PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa said earlier that his plant, which currently controls almost 50 percent of the country's total annual cement production of 21 million tons, will increase its annual output capacity by 1.2 million tons to 13.6 million tons in 1997.

Director General of Chemical Industries Sujata said here yesterday that Indonesia will have to import 1.5 million tons of cement next year as domestic production growth could not offset the rapidly growing demand.

Sujata said Indonesia's cement demand is projected at 26 million tons in 1995 but production will likely reach only 24.5 million tons. (rid)