Libyan Cement Company

Infobox Company
name = Libyan Cement Company
company_
type = Public
foundation = 1972
location = Benghazi, Libya
key_people = Hassan Hamed Bokzam (Secretary)
industry = Cement
products = Construction Ready-mix concrete Gypsum Lime
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
homepage = The Libyan Cement Company (LCC) has three cement-producing factories producing 2.8 million t/yr and a fourth plant producing cement packaging. The entire production is consumed by the local market, including 2,500 tons of cement a day used in the manufacture of pipeline for the Great Manmade River Project (GMMR).

Background

The Libyan Cement Company started production in 1972 with one factory. The production capacity for ordinary Portland cement was 200,000 t/yr. In 1974, a new production line was added with a capacity of 400,000 t/yr. A third production line was built in 1977 with a 400,000 ton capacity, which brought production to 1 million t/yr of ordinary Portland cement. However, the first factory stopped production due to maintenance problems. As of 2007, the Benghazi plant produces 800,000 t/yr. The Hawari plant, which was established in 1978 to produce 1,000,000 t/yr. In 1987, adjustments were made to the Hawari plant production lines to produce sulphate-resistant cement, which is suitable for construction of the GMMR. The El-Fatayah factory was established in 1982 with two production lines having a 1,000,000 t/yr capacity of ordinary Portland cement. This factory is located 350 km east of Benghazi, near Dherna. In 2001, the Libyan Government proposed a number of state company projects for which joint ventures would be considered. These included an expansion of Libyan Cement’s El-Fatayah cement plant, costing $166 million. [P. Mobbs (2001)] LCC also has a factory that produces the cement packaging, which was established in 1975; as it stands today, the factory produces 200,000 bags per day.

Domestic consumption and limitations

All of LCC’s cement production is domestically consumed, with market demand exceeding LCC’s capacity. Demand for cement is very high; for building and construction, like the GMMR, which consumed an estimated 8,000,000 tones of the sulphate-resistant cement. Currently, a major problem for the company is ageing production lines needing renovation, replacement and maintenance. As it stands, LCC is producing 50% of capacity. There is the possibility of exporting cement at the clinker stage, which was done in the past with a few neighboring countries.

Future plans

LCC plans to increase existing production capacity through cooperation with foreign partners. The company’s long-term goals include exporting cement to Europe, especially since many European countries are increasingly dismantling cement factories due to environmental concerns. LCC could also export cement to other African countries. However, the main problem with exporting cement to the rest of the continent is the high costs along the Sahara trade route.

Notes

References

*J.M. Cowan (1994), "The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic"
*Philip M. Mobbs (1998), [http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/1998/9222098.pdf "The Mineral Industry of Libya"]
*Philip M. Mobbs (2001), [http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2001/lymyb01.pdf "The Mineral Industry of Libya"]
*Philip M. Mobbs (2005), [http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2005/lymyb05.pdf "Minerals Yearbook: Libya"] , USGS