Increased Construction Drives New Investment in Iraq

Pakistan's Lucky Cement Limited has announced a major expansion of its plant in Samawah, Iraq. In a statement to the Pakistan Stock Market on Thursday, the company said it will add a new clinker production line with a capacity of 1.82 million tons per annum (MTPA). The Najmat-Al-Samawah (NAS) facility is a joint venture with Iraq's Al-Shamookh Group [al-Shumookh], and is currently described as a fully-integrated cement plant, with a capacity of 1.31 MTPA.

Lucky Cement also has a cement grinding operation in Basra -- Al-Mabrooka Cement Company -- with a capacity of 1.74 MTPA. The company said the expansion was needed due to the increased demand for cement in Iraq "on the back of a revival in economic activity and an uptick in construction projects".