São Paulo – Libya intends to increase its cement production in order to cater to local construction needs. According to information published by the African news agency Panapress, the country wants to more than double the volume produced on its territory, from the current 6 million tonnes a year to 15 million tonnes.
News stories published in the local press show that the demand for cement in Libya is on the rise, as a consequence of the large number of ongoing construction products in the country. Libya, which is located in North Africa and is an Arab country, wants to reduce its dependence on imports in the segment.
According to sources linked to the industry, in Libya, there is availability and abundance of raw materials required for cement manufacturing. There already are several projects underway in the country, most of which count on the participation of foreign capital and which should help increase local cement production.
Last year, for instance, Libya signed a contract with Chinese public company China National Building Material (CBM) for building, in the city of Sebha, in the south of the country, a plant with manufacturing capacity for 1 million tonnes per year. The plant is going to receive investment of US$ 17 million.
An Italian cement manufacturing company has also signed a contract to build a cement factory in the province of Tobrok, in northeast Libya. The plant will have capacity for 4 million tonnes of cement per year. Furthermore, according to the African press, other contracts in the area are being negotiated with European groups.
A large share of the Libyan economy is oil-based. The commodity answers to 95% of exports. The country has attracted the attention of foreign investors, especially in the oil industry, in which the Libyans want to double their current output, of 3 million barrels per day, by 2012. The country imports approximately 75% of the food it consumes, as it has no significant agricultural activity.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
