Indonesian concrete

Lafarge is to invest $90 million to rebuild its cement plant in Aceh, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia that was destroyed during the Tsunami on December 26, 2004.

The new plant will have a production capacity of approximately 1.6 million tonnes per annum and is expected to come on-stream by mid-2007.

The company has already launched a floating terminal at the port of Lhoknga to unload cement from its Malaysian subsidiary to meet the high demand for cement in the region of Banda Aceh. This terminal will allow the delivery of up to 1,600 tons of cement daily until the plant starts back up.

Lafarge is also rebuilding 500 homes, a school, and a mosque in Lamkruet, a nearby village about a mile away from the factory. Lamkruet was almost entirely destroyed by the Tsunami.

The first group of 275 houses should be completed by summer 2006, at a cost of approximately $2 million. Lafarge is to finance the operation using its own funds as well as donations from employees throughout the world, and from other partners.