Sime Darby says to invest $3.1 bln in Liberia project

MONROVIA May 19 (Reuters) - Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby (SIME.KL) said on Thursday it plans to invest about $3.1 billion in its Liberia oil palm plantation project and it expects first production by 2015.

"We hope to start production in June of 2015," said Sime Darby's board chairman Tun Musa Hitam, who was in Liberia for the launch of the 220,000 hectare project.

Hitam said the company plans to invest a total of about $3.1 billion in the project over 15 years. (Reporting by Alphonso Toweh; Writing Bate Felix; editing by David Lewis)