Maputo, Mozambique, 16 March – A new grinding unit at the Cimentos de Moçambique cement factory in the Mozambican city of Matola will double production capacity at the factory to 1.2 million tons, according to figures published by the company.

Cited by Mozambican daily newspaper Notícias, the figures showed that Mozambique consumes around 700,000 tons of cement per year, which means that when this new grinding unit is installed the market will have a surplus of 500,000 tons, which is likely to be exported to neighbouring countries.

According to the paper, Steffen Kasa, chief executive of Cimentos de Moçambique, said recently that at the Dondo cement plant, in Sofala province, a new grinding unit was also being installed to double current production capacity to 480,000 tons.

Kasa also said that when work was finished at the Matola plant, expected next May, and at which 18 million euros are being invested, the company would be able to meet the country’s cement needs until at least 2015.

Studies carried out by the company show that Mozambican cement consumption is expected to total 1.5 million tons per year in 2014, taking into consideration several construction projects outlined by the Government and the private sector. This figure is expected to rise to 1.8 million tons in 2018. (macauhub)