Lithuania: Akmenes Cementas, Lithuania's biggest cement producer, is operating almost at full capacity as its strategy to push exports has provide successful. For 2012 Akmenes Cement is aiming for at least a 10% increase in annual sales and a rise of around 15% in revenues thanks to growing exports.
"Today we rely on exports for growth," said Akmenes Cementas CEO Arturas Zaremba. He added a forecast that cement consumption in Lithuania will decline by 5% in 2012.
Akmenes Cementas expects that its Euro101.4m modernisation project will further aid its efforts to gain a foothold in export markets. A new dry production line increasing the plant's capacity to 1.5Mt/yr is due to be completed in mid-2013. This line should reduce fuels costs by almost one third. Two existing lines, with a capacity of over 1Mt/yr, will then be decommissioned.
