Nigeria: BUA Group's US$600m, 3Mt/yr capacity Obu cement plant in Okpella, Edo is set to be start cement dispatches in the first week of August 2015. Clinker production has already commenced.
"The Obu Cement plant, which is about 5km away from Edo Cement Company, is 100% owned by BUA Group. The Edo Cement plant, which has a capacity of 500,000t/yr is also being upgraded and will receive clinker from the Obu Cement plant before being fully completed," said BUA Group chairman and CEO Abdulsamad Rabiu. "The two plants will produce about 3.5Mt/yr of cement. Asides from the initial cost of over US$500m in Obu Cement, we have also invested over US$100m in gas turbines to power a 50MW plant for 24-hour electricity generation, as well as the construction of a 30km gas supply pipeline." The Obu Cement plant was supplied by FLSmidth of Denmark, while the civil construction was handled by construction firm Julius Berger.
Rabiu said that the company's three-year journey to construct the plant would give a much-needed boost to Nigeria's cement industry, as well as enhance the development of related sectors including housing and construction. Rabiu said that the plant's location in Edo makes it a strategic point for markets in the north and south of the country. "Essentially we are 200m to the highway linking Okene, Kogi and Benin, Edo, which will guarantee adequate distribution of products," said Rabiu. Rabiu revealed that an estimated 250 – 300 trailers of cement would be delivered to markets across the regions each day once the Obu plant starts full commercial operations.
The Obu Cement plant currently uses 9000t/day of limestone and clay for its large-scale operations, which will provide over 1500 direct jobs. The plant will produce 32.5, 42.5 and 52.5 grade cement.
"As far back as April 2014, BUA Group signed a gas sales and purchase agreement with the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), which will guarantee the supply of about 0.9Mft3/day of gas to the Obu plant. However, liquid fuels will also be used as a backup, to ensure production around the clock," said Rabiu.