On October 20, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. JSC "Keramzit Gravel Plant of Novolukoml" has launched an investment project to construct a workshop for the production of expanded clay concrete products, as reported to BELTA correspondent by the joint-stock company's director Mikhail Lazarashvili. Contracts have been signed for the supply of imported automated lines, and design work is underway for the construction of the workshop building. The total investment volume, including equipment and construction and installation works, is estimated at 6 million euros. It is planned that the workshop will be commissioned by September 2012. Primarily, the workshop will produce "Termokomfort" expanded clay concrete blocks. This is a fundamentally new wall thermal insulation material that can be used in both load-bearing and enclosing structures. Additionally, the blocks have another feature: they are slotted type with a tongue-and-groove system, which eliminates the need for cement-sand mortar on vertical joints. The enterprise has already established pilot production of the blocks, and they have found their buyers: the waiting list for purchase has already stretched to 5 months. New equipment will significantly increase production volume and labor productivity. If the old equipment produced 9 million units of conditional bricks per year, the new equipment will produce 70 million units of conditional bricks per year. However, it was not only the high demand for products that prompted the enterprise to implement this investment project. Expanded clay is the main product manufactured at JSC. By mastering a new type of product made from it, the enterprise is expanding its range of potential buyers, primarily in Ukraine and Russia, where similar production facilities for expanded clay concrete blocks may be established. As Mikhail Lazarashvili explained, with an increase in the transport distance of more than 200 km, the blocks lose competitiveness in price, whereas when transporting expanded clay, the transport distance can be increased up to 600 km without economic losses. Along with expanded clay concrete blocks, the new workshop will also enable the production of other products from expanded clay.