Makassar, South Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The building of Tonasa cement plant V in Pangkep regency, South Sulawesi, could be completed by the end of this year and starts production in January 2012.
"Let us hope completion would be this year, operation in January 2011, and commercialization in February 2012," President Director of PT Semen Tonasa HM Sattar Saba said when receiving South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo along with high officials of the South Sulawesi administration at the Tonasa Semen plant in Bontoa village, Minasa Te'ne regency, Pangkep, Tuesday.
In the meantime, Board Secretary of PT Semen Tonasa Syahruddin said the completion of Tonasa V project had reached 82 pct, and could be completed according to schedule in December 2011.
He said Tonasa V with an investment of Rp5.6 trillion has a production capacity of 2.5 million tons per year.
"In the first month of operation, only 80 pct of production capacity. In the second month 100 pct," he said.
If factory V is already operating, Semen Tonasa will produce 6 million tons of cement from five plants, namely Tonasa I,II,III,IV, and V.
Syahruddin who has been rumored to be the next Tonasa president director believed that the cement market in Indonesia, especially in the Eastern Region will be controlled by Tonasa after it started operating.
For now, Tonasa was said to control 44 pct pf the cement market share in the Eastern Region.
For supporting the new factory, PT Semen Tonasa is building an extension of Biringkassi Port, Pangkep, and two power plants.
Likewise for marketing, Tonasa also prepared a free marketing system and location of cement packaging in all the big islands in Indonesia.(H-NG/a014)