Belle unit to revive cement plant venture

APC Group Inc., an energy and mining holding firm affiliated with Belle Corp., plans to revive a $200-million cement manufacturing project in Cebu given the infrastructure-building activities triggered by the government’s public-private partnership projects.

APC chairman and president Willy Ocier said during the company’s stockholders’ meeting on Wednesday that the revival of the cement plant project was among the thrusts for 2012. In an interview with the Inquirer after the meeting, Ocier said the cement plant would have a capacity of 1.5 million metric tons (MT) a year and should start operating in about two years.

“Because of the PPP, we expect the government to spend more money for construction and civil works and also the supply situation has improved,” Ocier said.

For the first time since the Asian currency crisis that erupted in 1997, Ocier said demand for cement has recovered to 15-16 million MT a year, or about the same level prior to the crisis. He said the revival of the project might be justified now.—Doris C. Dumlao