Alabama Cement Plant Nears Completion of $230 Million Expansion

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The following is an advisory by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources Inc.; Houston, Texas). Lafarge Corporation (Reston, Va.), a subsidiary of Lafarge SA (NYSE: LAF) (Paris, France), recently acquired Blue Circle Cement's Roberta Cement Plant located in Calera, Alabama, which is currently completing a $230 million expansion program. Construction is 75% complete on a new $170 million kiln line, named the RK5 (Roberta Kiln 5) expansion, producing clinker, the main raw material that is used to make cement.

Also nearing completion is a $60 million limestone quarry expansion. Limestone is the feedstock used to produce cement clinker. Once completed the expansion program will boost annual capacity from 770,000 tons to 1.5 million tons per year of cement. Two existing kilns will be shutdown and salvaged once the new line has started up in early 2002.