PCSC to Invest $300-Million in Palestine's First Cement Plant

Researched by Industrial Info Resources India (Delhi, India)--Palestinian Commercial Services Company (PCSC) has announced its plan to build a cement plant in the West Bank region in Palestine. PCSC seeks to install a production line with a clinker capacity of 5,000 tons per day (TPD), in the first phase, to produce 1.5 million tons per annum (MTPA) of clinker and 2 MTPA of cement. The capacity of the clinker unit will later be ramped up to 10,000 TPD to achieve an annual production of 3 MTPA of clinker. Alongside, the production of cement will be doubled to 4 MTPA. The cement plant is due to be fully operational within four years from the date of commencement of construction.

PCSC has selected Holtec Consulting Private Limited (Gurgaon, Haryana), a leading consultancy firm from India, to carryout studies for preparation of feasibility report for the project. The report is slated to be completed within the next six months.

Cement trading is one of the major businesses in Palestine. PCSC currently meets more than 80% of the local market demand through import from Nesher Israel Cement Enterprises Limited (Jerusalem), while the rest is imported from Jordan and Egypt. Thus, on commencement of production from the plant PCSC will turn from an importer to the first producer of cement in Palestine.

Notably, there has been significant growth in demand for cement in the country, primarily from the real estate and infrastructure sectors. The construction sector is estimated to constitute around 12% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The sector is likely to create 14% of employment opportunities in Palestine in the coming years.

PCSC was established in 1994 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) to meet the demand of cement in the Palestinian market. PCSC is a majority shareholder in "Bulk Express", the largest cement transport company in the West Bank.

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