Lafarge to invest more in Chongqing
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-04-24 09:32

The world's top cement producer, France-based Lafarge, plans to invest US$40 million in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, as part of its efforts to increase investment in the country's underdeveloped west, which is rich in natural resources.

This investment will add 1 million tons of capacity to its Chongqing Lafarge Cement Plant, which now has an annual capacity of 800,000 tons, according to company sources.

By 2005, when the second production line of the Chongqing plant is completed, Lafarge's capacity in cement production in West China is expected to top 3 million tons. In 2002, Lafarge built up a cement plant in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, also in the southwest.

Lafarge is one of the leading building materials manufacturers in the world. In addition to cement, Lafarge is also a world leader in aggregates, concrete, roofing and gypsum. Lafarge employs 77,000 people in 75 countries and posted sales of 14.6 billion euro in 2002.

Currently, Lafarge has 13 factories on the Chinese mainland, with a total staff of 2,700.

According to some Chinese experts, what has impressed Chinese is Lafarge's pursuit in environmental protection while expanding its business. While building its Dujiangyan plant in Sichuan, Lafarge dug a two-km-long tunnel for the belt conveyer transporting stones through mountains and protect forests.