RSSThe Industrial Developmental Authority (IDA) of Egypt is planning to issue 12 new licences for new cement plants at Upper Egypt governorates in 2015.
Ismail Gaber, the chairman of IDA said that the first batch of licences issued will raise cement output by 21 million tonnes by 2018 and most of new licences will be issued at governorates of Beni Suef, New Valley, Qena, Sohag and Minya.
The governorates of Delta, Cairo and Alexandria will be excluded from the new licences due to environmental concerns.
IDA is also preparing new regulations and procedures for new cement licences including requiring investors to generate coal or gas-fired energy as well as setting technical and environmental standards to set up and operate cement plants.
The Ministry of Investment forecasts that cement usage will reach 80 million tonnes by 2020, and 22 cement plants in the country are producing around 50 million tonnes in total.
