ACC shuts down one kiln at Gagal plant
By NewsDesk
Leading Indian cement manufacturer ACC Limited has temporarily shut down one kiln at its Gagal plant in Himachal Pradesh for 15 days starting December 16, 2008.
The company said that the action was necessitated by an increase in clinker stocks at the Gagal plant resulting from poor cement demand in both Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
According to a press release issued by the company, both these states are showing negative cement demand of approximately 8% as compared to last year.
The situation is apparently worsened by duty free and CENVAT (CVD) free imports from Pakistan.
The clinker stock at the Gagal plant has been increasing since August 2008, said the press release.
ACC’s Gagal cement works has a total capacity of 4.40 million tons per annum (MTPA), the largest among all the 13 manufacturing plants listed by the company on its website.
