Is a Cement Factory worth it?

[Shiver]

I'm about to make a new city and I'm looking to make a full construction industry to build it (mostly) from scratch. Except I noticed the cement factory will cost me over 200,000 roubles to build with funds. My new city could probably house around 5,000 or 6,000 workers. But I'm wondering if its cheaper to just import the cement I need, instead of making the cement factory.

[Tar-Mairon]

its always cheaper to produce everything

[barry.zandstra]

Ironically, the vanilla cement factory requires a lot of concrete to build. I like building one, but then again, I play with Easy money setting. It can be worth it in the long run, but on a tight budget you wouldn't be able to afford one until you get some exports going.

[John Moridin]

Early on it's not worth it, no.

In fact, I wouldn't bother with cement/prefabs/bricks until you are producing your own coal.

[Shiver]

I should probably add that I do have a source of coal and iron. But haven't gotten a steel industry.

[Bailing_Out]

To me it is, maybe if they have made a smaller mod version even better. Either way you don't need to keep that many people working there, right now, that could change of course. Build a small storage for it nearby so you have some built up and they won't just sit there doing nothing when the cement plant gets full. Then let the trucks get it from the storage

[Silent_Shadow]

The cement plant is good to build right after you get a steel mill working because most of the cost is steel. Cement is something you'll always be needing to build more, so a cement plant can be worth it, depending on how much more you want to build.

If your republic lacks coal though, then you may be better off just importing it.

[Nokia 3310]

I play cosmonaut mode with minimum start money and without loans. I used cement factory as my first export-oriented industry and it goes well. It needs 3-4 gravel processing plants to get full supply.
The most expensive part here is not steel, but vehicles. You need many excavators and trucks. I spent more than 600K rubles for that.
By the end of 1965 coal became very expensive, but my coal mine was complete and I start getting fine profit again.
One light cable way is enough to get full coal supply. Cable way points are very cheap, so you can easy deliver coal from distant locations.

[angry_bosmer]

Cement factory can easily export a few million rubbles a year if you set it up properly. So worth it.

[John Moridin]

If you already have coal and iron mines then just make your steel mill first. Steel causes at least 65% of your construction costs while prefabs/cement/bricks causes about 15%.

Construction good make very little money in comparison to their cost and to other industries. Whereas steel makes a huge amount.

[forzion]

Just for you information. My republic is in year 2039 and I still do not have a cement plant as it is one of the last industries the republic needs. Just imagine that all the cement imports to make concrete and prefabs are worth just 3% of all the production of the republic in my case. I make 150.000.000 R on exports and import cement worth of 5.000.000 R only.

If you have tight budget then cement is not worth as initial investment. Problem is that you need coal for the production and it is much better to get the coal industry first as it is more profitable especially in the long run as you will save a lot of money on imports.