OREANDA-NEWS. BaselCement has launched supplies from its Achinsk cement plant, the company's first cement plant in Russia. According to the BaselCement press-service, the Achinsk cement plant had been functioning as part of the Achinsk alumina refinery, which was part of RUSAL. However, due to decreased demand for production, the plant was shut down for conservation in 2000.  A decision to reopen the plant was made this spring, with the preparation process for the launch completed in just half a year.

"BaselCement has an extensive program to launch cement plants in Russia and abroad. The Achinsk cement plant is our first plant in Russia," said Dmitry Savenkov, CEO of BaselCement. Douglas Lund, Head of the Construction and Materials Sector, adds that investment in the launch of the Achinsk cement plant totaled $13 million.  Thanks to the launch of the new enterprise, BaselCement's total output volume will exceed 1 million tons annually. Orders for cement from the Achinsk plant are booked out for the next two months.

The first production line of the 400 DO and 500 DO cement brands, which are used in housing construction, was launched August 31. The line has an output capacity of up to 700,000 tons per year. Two more lines are expected to begin operations, with the plant's total projected capacity at 2.1 million tons per year.

BaselCement Ltd. was established 2006 to manage cement plants and enterprises specializing in the production of construction materials. Currently, BaselCement manages construction of two cement plants in the Ryazan and Krasnodar regions. Last year, the company launched cement and lime production at the Sastobe plant in Kazakhstan. In addition to cement plants, BaselCement specializes in the production of basalt and granite chippings, sand and other types of construction materials.