OREANDA-NEWS  On 13 November was announced, that during the ten months of 2008 JSC Balcem, integrated in EUROCEMENT group, produced 2 587 000 tons of cement against 2 477 230 tons over the same period in 2007. Thus, the cement production has increased by 104,4 % in comparison with last year. The volume of clinker production in the ten months of the current year equals 2 246 700 tons, in 2007 1 848 146 tons were produced over the same period. The production growth amounts to 122%.

Over the last two years EUROCEMENT group has been actively investing in programs for the equipment provision, production upgrade, environment protection, equipment recondition, creation of worthy labor conditions, medical services for workers and a number of other programs.

Since 2005 the direct investments in the production and development have increased by 10 times and equal 136, 445 million hryvnyas. 80 million hryvnyas was spent on the production modernization, and 16 million hryvnyas was invested in the infrastructure development. The total expenses on the social programs increased by 35% in comparison with last year.

During the ten months of 2008 money was invested in the following spheres:

production and perspective development — 136, 445 million hryvnyas

mining works — 54, 319 million hryvnyas

economic security — 4 645,9 million hryvnyas

information technologies — 834 thousand hryvnyas

construction — 35 957 million hryvnyas

maintenance and supply — 2 493 million hryvnyas

Thanks to the active investment policy of CJSC EUROCEMENT group international holding, in which the plant was integrated in 2005, the enterprise has all the conditions for high-efficiency production. Restoration of the fifth production line - the largest rotary kiln in Europe - enabled to increase the plant production capacity considerably.

JSC Balcem is the largest cement manufacturer in the region. It produces more than 20% of the Ukrainian cement, the production volume amounts to 1206,9 tons of cement per man.

Today JSC Balcem is a dynamically developing enterprise, and the new high-tech equipment installed in the plant has enabled to improve the quality of the produced cement considerably.

The production rates are intensively increased annually.

JSC Balcem plans to produce approximately 2,8 million tons of clinker and more than 3 million tons of cement by the end of 2008.