Cement project underway in Waitomo region

.
17 March 2011

Cement project underway in Waitomo region

The Perry Group have confirmed their ambitions of supplying a competitive cement option to the New Zealand market by announcing the continuation of the construction of a $25 million cement plant project in the Waitomo region.

"The plant will be small, relative to other New Zealand plants, producing up to 80,000 tonnes per annum, but will be highly efficient" says Perry Group Chairman Simon Perry. A significant advantage will be the plants ability to produce low cost cement that is close to market. "Due to New Zealand's unique geography, shipping, ports and road transport are expensive parts of the cement supply chain. Our operation is close to major markets and decreases the significant costs associated with shipping and ports infrastructure."

The cement operation will supply concrete customers throughout the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Auckland regions, "The Golden Triangle."

Perry Resources has a long term supply arrangement with Ravensdown Fertiliser Cooperative, and the planned site for the cement plant is at an established limestone quarry at Te Kumi, 5 kilometres north of Te Kuiti owned by Ravensdown, New Zealand's largest ag-lime producer. The site is already intensively quarried, producing high grade agricultural lime for the farming sector, and burnt lime for the pulp and paper and road stabilisation industries. "We have an excellent long standing relationship with Ravensdown, and there are significant synergies in having the three operations - cement, lime and ag-lime, all being produced from the one site," Perry says.

Work on consent applications is well advanced, with a full consultation process due to be undertaken now that the project has received board approval. “Due to the sites isolated location, the existing industrial activities already in operation and the excellent roading networks, we believe the site is ideally suited for a small scale cement operation” said Peter Walsh, General Manager of Perry Resources. "We expect the plant build process to take 12-18 months after consents are granted, with commissioning expected mid-2013. "Our aim is to contribute to a revitalised and growing local economy," says Walsh.

Perry Resources has a proven track record in sustainability and environmental values and is well regarded in these areas within the industry they operate in. This will continue to be a focus moving forward and remains a high priority in relation to this project.

Due to the integrated nature of the cement industry, Perry Resources hasn't ruled out involving strategic partners but only at an appropriate time. "We've received expressions of interest from a number of parties" Mr Perry said. "We are excited about the prospect of bringing more jobs to the Waitomo region, and to growing the Waikato regions increasingly important role in supplying aggregates and minerals to the upper North Island, especially Auckland."

Ends

.

© Scoop Media