Chettinad Cement company has commissioned a factory in Karnataka with a capacity of 2.5-million-tonne a year. The plant, which was commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2011-12, paves the way for its entry into the western markets – North Karnataka and Maharashtra. The next phase of expansion will be in Dachepalle, Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, where a 3.5-million-tonne green field plant will come up. Land acquisition is on and the approvals are under process. The company has entered into an agreement with the AP State Government for the project, an official of the company said.The company, with an annual cement production capacity of over 11.5 million tonne (mn t) across three units in Tamil Nadu, has announced plans to add nearly 15 mn t over the next three years. In Maharashtra, the company plans to set up a 2-mn t a year cement grinding unit to facilitate market reach. It is also planning a grinding unit of a similar size in Visakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh.