A cement factory with a production capacity of one million tonnes per year went online on Thursday in Kampot province.
The factory is Cambodia’s fifth cement plant and comes in response to the rapid development of the construction sector.
Owned by local conglomerate Thai Boon Roong Cement Co Ltd, it is located in La’ang commune’s La’ang village in the province’s central Dang Tong district.
Minister of Mines and Energy Suy Sem said at the inauguration ceremony that the $110 million plant occupies 91ha on a 678.4ha area of land. It is a joint venture between Thai Boon Roong Cement and Chinese investors.
He said the factory is able to produce around 2,500 tonnes per day of two types of cement – “packing cement” and “plastering cement”.
“We currently have a sufficient supply [of cement] for the year, but the number of construction and infrastructure projects has been increasing dramatically.
“This is pushing up the demand for cement beyond what local production can accommodate, which leads to having to import it from abroad,” Sem said.
Prime Minister Hun Sen, who presided over the opening ceremony, said the plant is the latest achievement by the government in attracting further investment into the Kingdom, one that will contribute to the development of its infrastructure.
“People are using more concrete as the construction sector in the country booms, increasing the demand for cement. I would like to announce that we will use the cement to build and repair roads across the country, both in urban and rural areas.
“I express my appreciation to Thai Boon Roong Cement for building the plant here to contribute to national consumption and economic growth. I am truly grateful to the relevant authorities – especially in Kampot province – for facilitating the establishment of the cement plant.
“The new facility will not only contribute to the current rising demand in the construction sector, but also create jobs. I hope the company will increase production capacity,” Hun Sen said.
Vtrust Appraisal Co Ltd research director Hoem Seiha told The Post that the construction sector boom has created a strong demand for building materials in recent years.
“We see that our construction sector is mushrooming everywhere now, especially in Phnom Penh, where there are a lot of condos, apartments and residential complexes that generate a lot of demand in the construction material market,” Seiha said.
By the end of this year, Cambodia will have five cement factories with a total investment of $800 million, employing some 2,700 people and able to produce eight million tonnes per year, said Sem, the Minister of Mines and Energy.
A recent report by the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction said investment in the construction sector soared 34.7 per cent year-on-year in the first nine months of this year.
It reached $6.5 billion – across 2,541 projects – from $4.8 billion compared to the same period last year.
The report noted that from 2000 to the end of September this year, the ministry approved 46,991 construction projects – covering more than 126 million square metres – with a total investment of more than $48 billion.
