Lisbon, Portugal, 19 March – Cimpor – Cimentos de Portugal announced on Monday in Lisbon that it is to invest 120 million euros in Mozambique through its subsidiary company Cimentos de Moçambique.

According to information on its website, Cimpor decided to make “an important set of investments,” in its industrial units in central and southern Mozambique due to recent developments in the call for cement in Mozambique and to the prospects for growth in this market.

At its Dondo unit (Beira), where currently there is just a cement grinding operation, a clinker production line with capacity to produce 1,500 tons/day will be built, along with new grinding and bagging facilities, which as of 2010, will increase the unit’s current production capacity of 240 thousand tons/year (with import of clinker) to approximately 550,000 tons/year(with its own clinker).

In its Matola plant (Maputo), the investment to be made will focus on improving environmental performance and on boosting grinding capacity to almost double.

A few years ago Cimentos de Moçambique was accused of environmental pollution at this plant, which led to its temporary closure, following a campaign by environmental protection organizations.

In a statement released Tuesday in Maputo, Cimentos de Moçambique said that of the total to be invested in the country, 95 million euros would go to the Dondo unit.

Cimentos de Moçambique operates in three plants located in the cities of Matola, Dondo and Nacala that cover some 80 percent of demand for cement in southern, central and northern areas of the country. (macauhub)