Ancap to modernise cement plants

Ancap to modernise cement plants
21 August 2006


Ancap should invest at least US$10m in its cement plant at Minas and other US$2m - US$3m in the Paysandu unit, as part of an effort to modernise and to move them out of losses of around US$3m per annum. The Uruguayan Minas plans is apparently obsolete and has not been revamped over the last 50 years. One of the goals is to shift the energy source from fuel oil to coke or biomass. The gas and biomass energy feed Paysandu unit is to expand the main furnace to add a 60,000tpa output. Ancap has a 48 per cent share in the domestic market, Compania Uruguaya de Cemento Portland 45 per cent and the remainder seven per is from Pan de Azucar. The overall installed capacity is 1Mta with current output noted at around 60 per cent utilisation. Published under Cement News