President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today (07) inaugurated the manufacturing activities of the Lanwa Cement Corporation (Pvt) Ltd., the largest cement factory in the country, at the Magampura Industrial Estate.
The President and the Prime Minister who arrived at the venue also laid the foundation stone for the proposed new steel factory.
The investment in the new steel plant, which will be built on 250 acres of land, is US $ 400 million. The manufacturing process is scheduled to begin in late 2024.
The President and the Prime Minister unveiled the plaque at the opening of the new cement factory and inspected the factory premises.
The investment for the factory, which commenced construction in March 2020, was US $ 100 million. Covering an area of 63 acres, it is one of the largest cement manufacturers in the South Asian region. The factory has an annual production capacity of 04 million metric tons and will supply 2.8 million metric tons to the local market under the first phase, management said.
Covered conveyor belts are used to transport raw materials between the port and the factory to maximize efficiency, reduce waste and pollution.
The factory has two fully automatic Stacker Reclaimer Yards and a Bridge-Type Ship Unloaders. This will enable the handling of goods using technology instead of labor in line with international trends. The Lanwa Cement Factory is also designed to manufacture all types of cement, including ordinary Portland, Portland composite, and blended hydraulics.
Chairman of the Lanwa Cement Pvt. Mr. Nandana Lokuvithana stated that with the expansion of the factory’s manufacturing activities, it will be possible to meet the local demand for cement from this factory.
