Maryneal and Buzzi concrete on $250M expansion

MARYNEAL, NOLAN COUNTY – Buzzi Unicem USA will undergo a $250 million expansion, which will double the cement production at its Hwy. 608 plant location. Completion is scheduled for early 2016.

Maryneal is about 20 miles south of Sweetwater, and the cement plant there was built in 1950 as Lone Star Cement.

Once the expansion is completed, the company will reduce its fuel consumption, its gas emissions and its dust emissions.

Specifically, the more efficient equipment will reduce well water consumption by as much as 75 percent compared with current operations. The completed plant will be able to produce up to 1.2 million short tons of cement per year, compared with 550,000 short tons now.

About half of the new production levels will be targeting the construction business and will require outbound rail service in Sweetwater’s new Burlington Northern Santa Fe Logistics Center.

The plant employs about 100 people, and about 200 temporary construction workers will be employed during the expansion.

Buzzi Unicem USA is headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and operates seven cement manufacturing and 30 distribution terminals in the U.S.