Construction of new cement plant starts

TIRANA, Feb. 25 – Prime Minister Sali Berisha took part Monday in ceremonies to launch construction of a new 250 million Euros cement plant outside the Albanian capital.
The plant, 25 kilometers north of Tirana in Fushe Kruja, will be owned by Antea Cement, a subsidiary of Greece’s Titan Cement Group. Berisha said the project would be a big boost to the local economy. “A large number of workers will be employed in the construction phase of this plant, and hundreds will work there when it starts operations,” said Berisha. “This project is from a large multinational company and is a clear sign of growing investor confidence in the country,” he added. The plant will use Chinese technology with equipment from the manufacturer and contractor, CBMI Construction Co. Ltd.
Titan Group has secured a 99-year lease and right of use for the quarries and land for the plant, through an agreement with the local authorities ratified by the government and the parliament. The plant is expected to be operational in December 2009, producing 1.5 million tones of cement a year, for the Albanian and international market. Titan is an independent cement and building materials producer with over 100 years of industry experience. Based in Greece, the Group operates in six countries, owning eleven cement plants. In 2006, the Group sold over 16 million tons of cement and related products, 6 million cubic meters of ready mixed concrete and 22 million tons of aggregates and various other building materials such as concrete blocks and dry mortars. Two other cement plants of foreign investors have already received approval from the government, Spanish-based Cemento Aguillas and Italy’s Italcementi.