July 26, 2006	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 29, 1427

KARACHI, July 25: Lucky Cement on Tuesday ‘fired the kiln’ of last of its four lines of expansion, bringing to a conclusion its current phase of expansion programme.

Company executive director A.R. Thaplawala said in reply to a query that the Tuesday’s event meant that the second plant in Karachi would now be able to start production in 10 days. He said the commissioning of last of the four lines of expansions had increased Lucky’s plant capacity to 21,000 tons per day (tpd), which reinforced company’s position as the largest cement producer in the country.

Currently most cement companies are in the throes of giant expansions. Lucky had undertaken enhancement of production in four phases. Two lines by adding plant capacity of 8,400tpd in the existing plant (at Pezu) and another two separate lines of 8,400tpd by construction of green field plant on Super Highway in Karachi.Tariq Hussain Khan, analyst at Atlas Capital Markets, observed that the company had the first mover advantage and that of lower cost of expansion. He calculated that based on volumetric increase in dispatches, market share of the company had increased to an overall 12 and 15 per cent share in the Northern Zone. In the export market, the company had the highest share of 22 per cent. Lucky’s executive Director claimed on Tuesday that last week the company had exported by sea, 26,000 tons of cement from the production by its previously commissioned new plant in Karachi.