Cement supplier gears up for increased demand

22nd May 2015

  

Font size: - +

Cement producer PPC is gearing up for expected demand growth by constructing a new 3 000 t/d clinker kiln at its Slurry cement factory, in the North West.

The new kiln at Slurry will boast a six-stage preheater tower design as was used on PPC’s Dwaalboom kiln, in Limpopo, that was completed in 2008.

“PPC is the only cement producer boasting this state-of-the-art technology that will improve power and heat consumption and the overall efficiency of the plant,” the company notes.

In addition to PPC’s new construction, the company is focusing on expansion into Africa and is currently actively expanding its operations in four African countries. PPC aims to derive 40% of its revenue from the rest of Africa by 2017.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), PPC, in partnership with trading company Barnet Group and the International Finance Corportaion (IFC), is building a one-million-ton-a-year integrated cement plant at a cost of $300-million. This plant is expected to be commissioned at the end of 2016.

To launch the PPC brand and better understand country and market dynamics prior to starting production and operations, PPC has already started exporting to and trading their own-manufactured PPC-branded cement in Kinshasa and Matadi.

Meanwhile, in Rwanda, PPC is nearing completion of the construction of a 600 000 t/y plant at Rwanda’s only integrated cement producer Cimerwa’s facility, which is expected to start producing in the second half of this year.

The new plant integrates the latest technology and is being supplied on a turnkey basis by international engineering company and contractor China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Corporation, with mechanical and electrical equipment supplied and erected by industrial machinery, manufacturer Jiangsu Pengfei.

The current demand for cement in Rwanda is estimated at around 500 000 t/y. Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in Rwanda is forecast at 6.5% and the retail price of cement currently ranges from $240/t to $290/t.

Further, in Ethiopia, PPC is constructing a 1.4-million-ton-a-year plant. Ethiopia has a population of 94-million people, with a GDP per capita of $517 and cement consumption per capita of 115 kg.

The country’s GDP growth forecast is 8.7% and the retail price of cement ranges from $100/t to $130/t.

PPC Zimbabwe is a 70%-owned subsidiary of PPC in Zimbabwe.

It has a clinker manufacturing operation at Colleen Bawn and a grinding and packaging plant in Bulawayo. PPC Zimbabwe plans to expand its capacity through the construction of a clinker manufacturing facility in eastern Zimbabwe and grinding plants in Harare and Tete, in Mozambique.

Stage 1 of this development involves constructing a 700 000 t/y grinding and dispatch plant in Harare at a cost of $85-million. This plant is expected to be commissioned at the end of 2016.

Zimbabwe has a population of 13.7-million people with a GDP per capita of $1 006 and cement consumption per capita of 76 kg. Zimbabwe’s GDP growth is forecast at 3.6% and the retail price of cement ranges from $180/t to $290/t.

Sustainability
As part of its business strategy, PPC is currently implementing measures to address environmental and sustainability issues. Having acquired in-country authorisation for its new projects, the company has been developing environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs) to align to the funding requirements for each project.

PPC continues to strive to implement best practice in managing environmental impacts. In terms of air quality, emissions standards are aligned to the International Finance Cooperation’s specifications, which are more stringent than the local South African standards. Implementation of the ESIAs is well under way for the Rwanda and DRC projects.

The focus on sustainable development drives green energy innovation and the search for clean and renewable-energy sources, both to address environmental management and to counter resource depletion.

Edited by Leandi Kolver
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION