Sephaku Cement (SepCem) is on track to becoming a fully integrated cement producer, as clinker production at its flagship Aganang plant, in the North West, gets under way this month.
The plant start-up, which was initially expected in July, was delayed for a month after minor problems were identified on the plant fan system during hot commissioning. The delivery of clinker to the company’s Delmas milling plant would now start by the end of August, CEO Dr Lelau Mohuba said on Wednesday.
SepCem had been buying clinker to mill at the Delmas plant, where more than 60% of production capacity use had been achieved, to enable entry into the market, while strengthening sales functions in preparation for increasing volumes.
“The production of its own clinker is an important step for SepCem, enabling it to become a fully integrated producer of cement,” he said in a statement.
“We are confident that [the company] will soon become a strong and profitable competitor in the local market.”
The cement production capacity at the Aganang and Delmas plants was about 1.1-million tonnes and 1.4-million tonnes a year at steady-state production respectively.
The ramp-up of production at both plants would be based on market demand.