AFRICA news
Algerian Minister of Industry and Mining Abdesslam Bouchouareb has inaugurated the second production unit of the Ain El Kebira cement plant in Setif , which falls under the Algerian public industrial cement group , Groupe Industriel des Ciments d ’ Algérie ( GICA ). According to the minister , the unit ’ s two million tonne annual production capacity , together with the 1.5 million tonnes per year from the Adrar cement plant and the two million tonnes per year of the Chlef plants ( which are due to be commissioned by April and October 2017 , respectively ), will allow Algeria to reach selfsufficiency in cement production . He added that Algeria would be able to export the surplus by early 2018 .
The price of cement in northern Cameroon has reportedly dropped by 20 %, from USD5.70 to USD4.56 per 50kg bag , due to the alleged smuggling of Dangote-branded cement across the border from Nigeria . According to Business in Cameroon , the importing of cement into Cameroon was banned following the commissioning of three new cement production units in the country . The illegal importing of cement from the neighbouring Nigeria has resulted in the price of a 50kg bag of Dangote cement in the north of the country being between 30 and 40 % cheaper than the same bag in the south .
LafargeHolcim subsidiary Hima Cement has commenced construction of a cement grinding station in Tororo , eastern Uganda , according to a report in Uganda ’ s The Observer newspaper . The USD40-million grinding station is expected to more than double the company ’ s current annual production capacity , from 900 000 tonnes to 1.9 million tonnes , when it starts production in mid- 2018 . The plant aims to meet demand from local infrastructure projects , including the Karuma Power Dam Project , to which Hima Cement has been supplying cement through a third party . The company is expected to be awarded a contract to supply cement to Karuma directly this year .
Multotec builds capacity in Africa
Mineral processing solutions provider Multotec , which has grown its African footprint over almost two decades , puts its success down to developing local capacity — including skills and infrastructure — as close to the customer as possible , to allow quick and effective response .
“ We prioritise skills transfer and capacity-building in our African facilities , and also train our customers ’ staff in the maintenance of our equipment ,” says Multotec CEO , Thomas Holtz .
“ It is becoming increasingly important — both to us as suppliers and to our customers , the mines — to invest in local skills development as a key sustainability practice .”
For years Multotec has provided training in process-related topics in South Africa , and recently rolled this out in a more formal and structured manner to other regions . Today , the group ’ s equipment can be found in almost 50 countries on six continents . According to Holtz , the training focuses on bridging the gap between the theory learnt in tertiary studies and the practical day-to-day mechanics of working with equipment in a plant environment . “ Where we can build local capacity to support our products the customers appreciate it — and we ’ ve seen growing interest in this training over the past two to three years .”
According to Multotec Africa managing director Jaco du Toit , the cradle-to-grave concept ensures compliance with the
Mines ISO 14000 environmental management standards , where the group provides the equipment , technical expertise and maintenance , as well as the removal and recycling of the product at the end of its life .
With Multotec ’ s growing support network and range of products , customers are increasingly engaging the company on contracts to take over on-site equipment maintenance , aligned to servicelevel agreements .
Multotec
Multotec offers training that is focused on bridging the gap between theoretical studies and the practical mechanics of working with equipment in a plant environment .
QUARRY SA | march 2017 _ 9