CDC issues licence to new cement plant in Kratie

CDC issues licence to new cement plant in Kratie

The plant is expected to be operational by 2027, and will have the capacity to produce a million tonnes of cement per year.

The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) issued a licence to a cement factory project with a registered investment capital of nearly $300 million in Kratie province, marking a significant milestone in the country toward industrial self-sufficiency.

In its annual report released this week, the CDC stated that it has officially issued a licence under the qualified investment project, with a registered investment capital of $286 million in Kratie province.

Ung Dipola, Director-General for Mineral Resources of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, confirmed yesterday that the new facility is expected to add one million tonnes of product, bringing total cement factories in Cambodia to seven.

“The plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2026 or 2027 and will have the capacity to produce 1 million tonnes of cement per year, “ Dipola said.

Currently, six cement factories are in operation, supplying to the domestic market. They are Kampot Cement Co Ltd, Battambang Conch Cement Co Ltd, Chip Mong Insee Cement Corp, Cambodia Cement Chakrey Ting Factory Co Ltd, Thai Boon Roong Cement Co Ltd, and Conch KT Cement.

The six factories produce 14 million tonnes of cement a year, he said, adding that the demand from the domestic market is around 9 to 10 million tonnes a year.

The Kingdom’s cement manufacturing industry showed a resilient supply to domestic demand and can export abroad, according to the Director-General of Mines Resources.

“Since 2023, Cambodia imported a small amount of cement from abroad because Cambodia had the capacity to produce and supply sufficient to the domestic market and had exported the cement products abroad,” Dipola said.

The ministry stated that the figures reflect Cambodia’s transformed from a country that imported 100 percent of cement from abroad to a country that is self-sufficient and can make exports.

Cambodia approved 3,503 construction projects this year, representing a combined construction floor area of more than 18 million square metres and a total investment value of $7.32 billion, a significant 68.89 percent increase compared to 2024, according to a report from the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction.

Figures from the Ministry of Commerce showed the country spent $2,359 million on importing construction materials between January and November of last year, up 31 percent from $1,801 million in the same period last year.

The data shows that the Kingdom’s construction sector renewed momentum in 2025, recording a sharp rise in investment despite ongoing global economic uncertainty.

khmertimeskh