Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited (MLCF), one of the leading cement producers of Pakistan has signed a contract with a Chinese plant supplier, in a bid to expand its clinker production.

“We are pleased to inform the company has signed a contract on March 22, 2021, with plant supplier, Chengdu Design and Research Institute of Building Materials Industry Co, Ltd China for the supply of equipment and engineering,” informed the company in a statement on Wednesday.

The equipment will be used for dry process clinker production line-4 of 7000 metric tons per day grey clinker, through a brownfield expansion project, said the company.

MLCF informed that this will enhance its clinker production capacity up to 25,000 metric tons per day at the existing plant site located in Mianwali, Punjab.

MLCF set up in 1960 as a public limited company. It is part of the Kohinoor Maple Leaf Group, with Kohinoor Textile Mills Limited as its holding company. The company seeks to take advantage of the recent government-announced construction package, which aims to uplift the economic activity and aid the economy to recover during Covid-19.

The project is expected to commence trial production in August 2022, it added.

In recent weeks, a number of cement manufacturers announced to increase their cement production, Kohat Cement Company Limited (KOHC) announced that it would be setting a multi-billion rupees cement manufacturing plant in Punjab. It said that the Board of Directors of the company has approved the setting up of 7000-10000 TPD Cement Manufacturing Plant.

Furthermore, Fauji Cement Company Limited (FCCL) also informed that it has decided to invest in additional cement capacity. The company approved the setting up of Greenfield Cement Manufacturing Plant of 2.05 million tonnes per annum at Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab.