Thai cement giant to construct first factory in Laos
Thai cement giant to construct first factory in Laos
Representatives from Siam Cement Group (SCG) visited Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong last week to discuss the company building its first cement factory in Laos, in preparation for the arrival of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.
The factory will be constructed at an estimated cost of 10 billion Thai baht and will be able to produce 1.8 million tonnes of cement every year, in response to growing demand.
The SCG factory will use environmentally friendly technology to allow for sustainable development, according to the company.
President and CEO of SCG Mr Kan Trakulhoon visited the Government Office to meet with Prime Minister Thongsing last week. They discussed the implementation of the project and the close business relationship between Thailand and Laos.
SCG is attempting to position itself as a leader in sustainable business in Asean before the AEC comes into effect in 2015.
Mr Kan said the company's committee had approved the 10-billion-baht investment in the factory, which will be located in Khammuan province.
He said he expected the factory to begin production in the second quarter of 2017, to respond to greater demand for cement throughout the Greater Mekong Sub-region.
SCG is a market leader for construction products in Laos because customers trust products bearing the company's signature elephant logo.
This year 2.8 million tonnes of cement passed through the Lao market. The quantity of cement traded is expected to grow by between 5-10 percent every year, Mr Kan said.
He said the factory would include a system that would generate electricity from hot wind produced as waste, setting a standard for other factories in Laos to follow.
The factory will be similar to others SCG has constructed in Indonesia, Cambodia and Myanmar.
SCG now has three main subsidiary companies: SCG Cement Construction Product, SCG Chemical and SCG Paper.
SCG began operating in Laos in 2004 through the three companies SCG Trading Lao, CPAC Lao and CPAC Monier Lao.
Between them they produced and distributed cement, construction products, household fittings and furnishings, toilets, taps, ceramics as well as roofing and ceiling materials.
SCG ran the ‘SCG Sharing the Dream' project in 2012 to develop an education fund for students in Laos.
vientiane times
