Ground broken yesterday for J$6-billion (US$40-million) expansion project

Durrant Pate/ Contributor

Jamaica’s sole cement manufacturer, Caribbean Cement Company Limited is spending some J$6 billion (US$40 million) to expand its production capacity by up to 30 per cent.

Ground was broken yesterday (August 24) for the expansion project at Kiln-5, led by Prime Minister Andrew Holness at the company’s East Kingston base. In addition, the Mexico-Jamaica Friendship Mural project was also unveiled during the ceremony, as part of efforts to celebrate Jamaica’s 60th year of Independence.

In his remarks, Holness expressed his pleasure that, as part of its growth strategy, Carib Cement’s parent company, CEMEX out of Mexico, took the decision to upgrade and increase the production capacity of its Jamaican subsidiary.

He explained that the expansion project will increase Carib Cement’s production capacity by approximately 300,000 metric tonnes, which is 30 per cent more than its current capacity.

According to the prime minister, “the expansion will use state-of-the-art technology and will introduce novel grinding additives to the manufacturing process, which would further enhance the production of low clinker products in the region”.

By optimising the heat consumption in the cement production process, Holness said the project would also minimise Carib Cement’s carbon footprint in Jamaica.

Positive development for Jamaica

He argued that CEMEX’s approach with their ‘Future in Action’ programme, means that Carib Cement will also be on a sustainable development path.

“The expansion is a very positive development for our country and will strengthen the self-sufficiency of our national cement industry; it will reduce the dependency on cement imports, allow for exports and re-enforce Caribbean Cement’s ability to serve the growth of the construction sector in Jamaica and the Caribbean,” the prime minister noted.

He emphasised that “an expansion of the production capacity is very significant and important to Jamaica’s economic growth strategy”.

He added: “Cement is the foundation of the construction industry, which is vital to generating the growth and the jobs which we are now seeing. Growth in an economy is important for fiscal sustainability and for raising the standard of living.”

The prime minister acknowledged that major projects across every category of infrastructural development, whether it is transportation, housing, tourism, all rely on cement, noting that the construction industry employs technical, skilled, and unskilled persons and contributes significantly to economic growth and job creation.

For his part, CEMEX Chief Executive Officer Fernando Gonzalez commented that the expansion of the capacity of the cement plant will be the biggest investment made by CEMEX in the country in the last five years.

“[It] is expected to help Caribbean Cement Company to entirely supply the local market, making Jamaica self-sufficient in terms of cement production. We are in the final stages of the engineering phase and in obtaining permits from the authorities,” Gonzales said.

He added: “Very soon, we will begin to procure the equipment needed for this initial phase of this project that will not only expand our capacity but also allow us to optimise our heat consumption in the manufacturing process, and, therefore, reduce the carbon footprint of our facility in Jamaica.”

The CEMEX CEO admitted that the possibility exists to further scale up the project in the long term, adding that “we are bullish about our business in Jamaica, and this investment demonstrates CEMEX’s commitment to this beautiful country”.

READ: New mural symbolising the Jamaica-Mexico relationship unveiled