Cement suppliers all set for Laos-China railway

However, officials said there was no guarantee the megaproject would actually select all cement producers to be suppliers.
Vangvieng Cement Plant deputy director Chanthay Vongnakhone told the press on Saturday that its three plants at Vangvieng were quite capable of supplying enough cement.
The plant has already increased output in terms of quality and quantity, hoping to receive an order from the soon-to-commence rail project.
Daily output has grown from 1,200 tonnes to 4,900 tonnes since the completion of Lao Vangvieng Cement Plant No 3.
“If all three cement plants are not chosen for the Laos-China rail project, they will not operate at full capacity, especially the new No 3 plant,” he said.
This plant can produce 3,500 tonnes of cement a day, but only about 500 tonnes or 800 tonnes a day are being sold.
This means the plant is producing cement only one day a week.
Chanthay said he was still waiting for more details on the Laos-China rail project and whether they would use cement from the Vangvieng plants.
An official from Plant No 3, Sisomphou Kongpalun, said the plant uses the latest technology from China, so the quality and quantity are sufficient for large projects such as the Laos-China railway.
There are 15 cement plants across the country, but the new Lao Vangvieng Cement Plant No 3 is the biggest.
Officials estimate that as many as 100,000 workers were needed for the Laos-China railway throughout its five years of construction.
The US$6.04 billion (Bt211 billion) project has several components and requires workers with varying skills.
The Lao and Chinese governments took part in a ground-breaking ceremony on December 2 in Vientiane for the 427-kilometre railway, which will connect the Lao capital to the Chinese border in the northern part of the country.
The Laos-China joint venture is split 30-70.