Venezuela’s Cerro Azul cement factory, developed by Iran, has begun production of high-quality clinker, reported IRNA.
Following the trial production in September, the factory officially started to produce clinker in its furnaces. Earlier, the grinding and crushing department as well as the mill had been successfully tested.
The plant’s construction was implemented jointly with the Iranian company Ehdasse Sanat, a subsidiary of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO). Cerro Azul, located in El Pinto Piar, Monagas state, will produce 1 million metric tons of cement accounting for 13% of cement production throughout the Latin American country. The cement industry is the flagship project of strategic agreements between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
During the past decade, Iran has had strong and rapidly growing ties with Latin American states, especially with Venezuela. By the end of 2008, Iran furthered its cooperation with Venezuela by establishing a car assembly plant and a cement factory in the Latin American country and direct air service between Tehran and Caracas. Trade between Venezuela and Iran has grown steadily and the two countries have launched joint ventures in a number of sectors, including energy, agriculture, housing, and infrastructure. In 2008, the value of industrial development projects carried out by Iranian firms in Venezuela stood at around $4 billion.
