So far this year, cement has shown a growth of 2.9% compared to the January-June period of last year.
SANTO DOMINGO –With the new investments underway, the country's cement-producing companies will increase their installed capacity to approximately 10 million tons in the next two years, covering all local demand and boosting the export potential of this essential construction material.
The Dominican cement industry maintains that despite currently dealing with a surge in the cost of essential inputs for its production process, it continues to strive to ensure the continuity of its operations and therefore the security of supply that the country requires for its current and future development.
The companies grouped in ADOCEM, the Dominican Association of Portland Cement Producers, ratified yesterday their commitment to investment and development in the Dominican Republic, after stating that the cement industry throughout the world is highly intensive in continuous capital investment.
Currently, the annual production capacity of these companies is 7.8 million metric tons. The country currently has six production plants: Cementos Cibao, Domicem, Cemex Dominicana, Cemento Panam, Argos Dominicana, and Cemento Santo Domingo. These companies are developing investment projects in new kilns, reactivating production lines, and renovating their mills, seeking to strengthen their responsiveness and their firm commitment to the quality of service they provide, explains a press release.
Felix Gonzalez, president of ADOCEM, explained that the Dominican Republic has a growing demand for infrastructure and housing, so it needs to efficiently utilize its resources and develop its local industry to compete in the global market.
“Our sector works in harmony with this growth potential and is aware of its responsibilities; this is why for many years we have been promoting the modernization and expansion of our plants capable of supplying the growth of local demand for the next fifteen or twenty years,” the executive stated.
Recently, the international magazine Global Cement highlighted in a report on the cement industry in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean that the Dominican Republic is considered the second most important nation in cement production in the region, after Mexico, with an installed capacity per capita that reaches 716 kg per person.
ADOCEM explains that despite current economic challenges, the construction sector has managed to maintain steady growth, and this dynamic has been reflected in the cement industry. While construction saw 23% growth in 2021, the first half of this year shows a moderate increase of 2.0%, which is partly explained by the fact that it was the fastest-recovering sector last year.
So far this year, cement production has grown by 2.9% compared to the same period last year, with expectations that investments in residential, industrial, and tourism development projects will continue, as well as the significant civil engineering and infrastructure projects promoted by the Government until the end of 2022.
