Thailand: Siam City Cement to focus on malta cement

Siam City Cement Plc is looking to expand its production of malta cement to gain better returns from expected market growth driven by increased infrastructure spending in Thailand. 

Siam City Cement forecasts that the domestic cement market will expand by 1-3 per cent this year and it is focussing on special grade 'malta cement' which is designed for types of road, railways and reservoirs, said Mr Kajornsak Manosupsak.

The production of malta cement will give the company a higher profit margin, reported the Bankok Post. Thailand's cement consumption is estimated at 10Mta and less than 10 per cent was malta cement.

The cement producer is also working to expand its cement capacity. The fourth kiln line in Sababuri province will add 0.6Mta of production to the plant, said Kajornsak Manosupsak, Siam Cement's general manager at the plant.

"That will increase the company's total production capacity to 1.35Mta, up from 750,000t at present," he said.

Meanwhile, Siam Cement is investing THB800m (US$22.8m) to become a regional force in cement manufacturing to capitalise on the growing cement demand in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam as well as in Thailand.