Cement maker Holcim Philippines Inc. has completed the expansion of its La Union plant two months ahead of schedule, a statement on Thursday showed.
The project mainly involved the installation of new grinding equipment and storage facilities.
With the project, the Bacnotan, La Union plant can expect an 80-percent increase in annual cement output to 1.8 million tons.
Holcim Philippines president and CEO John Stull said the expansion project would help the company serve its customers in North Luzon as well as the Duterte administration’s cornerstone “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure initiative.
“This project is proof of our commitment to support our customers as construction activity picks up with the government’s Build, Build, Build program. With our expansion and efficiency initiatives, we can better provide a reliable supply of high-quality cement to help our partners advance the region’s development,” Stull said in the statement.
Latest government data showed that two of the three regions in North Luzon outpaced the national economic growth rate in 2017.
Holcim Philippines said the La Union plant upgrade was in sync with the company’s broader expansion program in the country.
The second phase involves improvements to its Bulacan and Misamis Oriental plants amounting to $300 million. These will raise the company’s annual cement production capacity by 30 percent to 13 million metric tons by 2020.
Holcim also operates cement manufacturing facilities in Batangas and Davao. —MIGUEL R. CAMUS