Qatar Primary Materials Company (QPMC) is set to inaugurate the cement storage silos project in the first quarter in line with its efforts to ensure a sustainable supply of cement in the country.

One of the main objectives of concrete silos is to put an end to shortfalls and ensure the provision of cement and other concrete materials in a sustainable manner for current and future projects, as well as supporting the private sector, reported the Gulf Times.

The project is being planned at Berth One of the Port of Mesaieed and will comprise two cranes, two conveyor belts, 12 concrete silos with a storage capacity of 5,000 tonnes for each for a total of 60,000 tonnes, said the report, citing a top official.

"The cement materials would be transferred from the concrete silos to four steel silos which will discharge the cement into trucks with an unloading capacity of 250 tonnes per hour for each silo, or a total of 1,000 tonnes per hour, which is enough to fill up 40 trucks with a payload of 25 tonnes each every 60 minutes," remarked QPMC chief executive Eisa Al Hammadi.

Cement ships will be unloaded at a discharge rate of no more than two-and-a-half days with a cargo that weighs 30,000 tonnes, which reduces the waiting time, he added.