Displaying items by tag: Inauguration

Paraguay: Industria Nacional del Cemento’s (INC) has officially inaugurated a second cement mill at its Villeta plant. The state-owned cement producer spent US$12m on the upgrade, according to the Agencia de Información Paraguaya. The new mill was built by China’s Sinoma. It has a cement production capacity of 80t/hr or be able to produce around 800,000 bags/month of cement. INC also plans to start operating a pozzolan drying unit at Villeta in September 2018.

Ghana: The Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana (CMAG) formally inaugurated itself at the start of July 2018. The association is intended to protect and accelerate the development of the industry, according to MyJoyOnline. Members of the association include Ghacem, Diamond Cement and Ciments de l’Afrique (CIMAF). In its constitution the association stated that it, “is not a cartel, but an umbrella body for cement manufacturers in the country.”

Raju Baddharaju, Diamond Cement, has been appointed as the first chairman of the association’s board. George Dawson-Ahmoah, Strategy & Corporate Affairs Director of Ghacem has been appointed as the executive secretary with effect from August 2018. Other members on the governing board include: Morten Gade-Member, Ghacem; Eugene Laryea-Member, Ghacem; N. Venkatesh-Member, Diamond Cement; Mohamed Bennis-Member, CIMAF; and Joseph Aboo-Member, CIMAF.

Previously, the Ghana Cement Manufacturers Association (GCMA) published its memorandum of understanding in 2015 with Ghacem and Diamond Cement as its founding members. Dawson-Ahmoah was the chairman of an interim executive body for the association.

Italy: Wamgroup has inaugurated its new technology centre in Cavezzo. The centre will be used for research, training and as a showroom, according to local media. The enginering company specialises in screw conveyors as well we manufacturing equipment for bulk solids handling and processing, dust filtration, waste water treatment and renewable energy generation. It celebrates its 50th year of business in 2018 following its founding in late 1968.

Cambodia: The Battambang Conch Cement Company has officially inaugurated its US$230m plant in Rattanak district, Battambang province. The unit has a production capacity of 5000t/day, according to the Phnom Penh Post newspaper. The company intends to supply cement to Pursat, Pailin, Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap provinces. The plant is a joint venture between China’s Conch International Holdings and local cement firm Battambang KT Cement.

Following the opening of the new unit Cambodia has a cement production capacity of 7Mt/yr from four plants. The country has six licenced cement plants including Kampot Cement, Cambodia Cement Chakrey Ting, Mong Insee Cement Corporation, Thai Boon Rong Cement, and Southern Cement Cambodia. Thai Boon Rong Cement, and Southern Cement Cambodia are projects that are currently being built.

Mozambique: President Filipe Nyusi has inaugurated the 0.25Mt/yr Cimentos de Maiaia plant in Nacala. The US$10m project was a joint venture between Chinese firms and local investors, according to the Mozambique News Agency. Chinese investors provided 85% of the funding. The new plant is the third in the port of Nacala. Cimentos de Maiaia plans to focus on markets in the north of the country.

Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta has inaugurated National Cement’s US$280m integrated plant in Kajiado County. The clinker plant has a production capacity of 1.2Mt/yr and it set to employ 700 workers, according to the Agence de Presse Africaine. The plant also includes a 15MW captive power plant.

India: Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, has inaugurated JSW Cement’s plant at Salboni. The US$125m grinding plant has a production capacity of 2.4Mt/yr, according to the Press Trust of India. It started commercial production at the site in July 2017 with plans to manufacture Portland Slag Cement. The cement producer is already preparing upgrades at the unit including a US$15.6m captive power plant with a capacity of 18MW and a US$47m production capacity increase of 1.2Mt/yr.

Congo: Dangote Cement commissioned its new Mfila plant in the Republic of Congo on 23 November 2017. The 1.5Mt/yr integrated facility, which cost US$300m to construct, will employ around 1000 direct workers and contribute to the creation of many indirect jobs. It is the largest cement plant in the country.

At the inauguration ceremony, Congo’s President Denis Sassou Nguesso said that the construction of the plant marked part of an ‘industrial revolution’ in the Economic Community of Central African States (CEMAC). He said that Congo was happy to host Dangote Cement, which he had observed operating to the benefit of other sub-Saharan African countries. He said that the timing of Dangote’s investment was fortunate as the country needed to diversify its economy in light of falling oil revenues.

The Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari was represented at the event by a delegation led by the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi. He commended Aliko Dangote for contributing to the economic development of Africa and said that his ‘sterling accomplishment’ made Dangote Cement a ‘worthy ambassador’ of Nigeria.

Congo: Dangote Cement will officially open its 1.5Mt/yr capacity cement plant in Congo on Thursday 23 November 2017. Constructed for around US$500m, the plant is expected to directly employ more than 1000 people, while thousands of indirect jobs will also be created. The plant, which is now the largest in Congo, rolled out its first bag of cement on 7 August 2017. The company's third quarter unaudited results showed that the Congo plant, which recently began operations, has almost doubled cement capacity of the country.

The Congo plant commissioning will bring the number of Dangote Cement’s fully operational plants across Africa to 10. The company is currently active in 17 African countries.