Garadagh Cement confirms upgrade

The executive board of Holcim is prepared to sanction the overhaul of the cement plant of the owned joint-stock company Garadagh Cement in Baku this year.    Azer-press learned from the chairman of the board of Garadagh Cement Uwe Koehler that the last decision-making about re-construction of the furnace No 5 and the completion of the relevant tender are both expected by the middle of this year.   The second phase of the project started with the tender for main design work on 15 October last year. Then will follow the tender in which a contractor will be chosen.  The refurbishment inpex is estimated at up to $75 mn.  

The refurbishment work will last for two years at the shortest; the daily out-puts of cement are expected to reach four thousand tonnes consequently while the dependence on the import supplies of clinker will be reduced and the import of clinker will be stopped altogether eventually.   The new line No 5 is expected to replace four old furnaces, which will be extinguished in 2007. The new line will help reduce consumption of natural gas by about forty per cent.   Full report is included in ICR January 2005 edition.