Caribbean Cement to restart exports

Caribbean Cement expects to restart cement exports following the completion of its US$50m modernisation programme. The programme also includes the commissioning of a new coal mill scheduled for the second quarter of this year, upgrades to both cement mills, a new packing line, and the upgrade and replacement of conveyor belts and dust collectors to boost production to 1.2Mta.

Peter Donkersloot, Caribbean Cement's general manager, said: "It must be noted that every step has been taken to ensure that the Jamaican market is well covered and serviced during this period, a key ethos being the fulsome return to the export market with the resultant foreign exchange earnings."

"As it relates to return to exports," he added, "we continue to assess the opportunities that are available within the Caribbean markets - both previous and new - as we look towards other opportunities within the wider region."

Caribbean Cement suspended exports in April 2016 to focus on supplying its home market. At the time, the cement plant was also securing additional supplies from sister plants in the region to augment supplies to the Jamaican market.

In 2017, the company's cement exports fell 21 per cent to 119,098t, while clinker exports dropped 78 per cent to 39,540t. Export sales of cement were mainly to Suriname and Haiti, while clinker was supplied to Caribbean Cement's sister plant in Barbados, as well as to Venezuela. Production at the Rockfort, Kingston-based plant in 2017 amounted to around 910,000t.

Mr Donkersloot added that Caribbean Cement would also be working in conjunction with its parent company Cemex to introduce new technologies and promote different applications of cement to drive demand.