CIMAF Burkina Faso: 24 months to deliver cement made from local calcined clay

CIMAF Burkina Faso: 24 months to deliver cement made from local calcined clay

2024-08-09 10:39:03

• 30 billion CFA francs for factory construction

• A solar power plant costing nearly 4 billion CFA francs

• Privileged partner of Morocco, Burkina Faso

Anas Sefrioui, CEO of the Cimaf Group, said that the calcined clay produced in Burkina Faso will serve as an alternative raw material to imported materials, especially clinker (Dr. Yvan Sama)

Cement Africa (CIMAF), a Moroccan company with two plants in Burkina Faso since 2014 (Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso), will offer within 24 months a “Made in Burkina Faso” cement based on calcined clay, replacing clinker. This new endogenous option is the first in the cement industry in the land of honest people. To mark this technological revolution with a white stone, the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, and Anas Sefrioui, CEO of the Cimaf Group, laid the first stone for the unification of calcined clay production in Ouagadougou on Thursday, August 8, 2024. For Anas Sefrioui, calcined clay produced in Burkina Faso will serve as an alternative raw material to imported materials, especially clinker. He also said that this project will reduce Cimaf’s carbon footprint and contribute to the protection of the environment. Not to forget the effect of reducing the impact of payments in hard currencies, dollars and euros, he said. The calcined clay production unit to be built on a 5-hectare site will cost 30 billion CFA francs/46 million euros, have a production capacity of 900 tons/day and will generate 500 jobs during the project phase and 300 direct and indirect jobs during the operational phase, said the Cimaf Group CEO.

315 direct and indirect jobs

CIMAF Burkina Faso: 24 months to deliver cement made from local calcined clay
The President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, inaugurates the construction of the future production unit (Dr. Yvan Sama)

The Cimaf plant (Waga) will also be equipped with a 5 MW solar power plant within 12 to 15 months, which will require 50 jobs during the project phase and 15 direct and indirect jobs during the operational phase. Its investment cost is 3.3 billion CFA francs / 5 million euros. Anas Sefrioui said that the choice of a solar power plant is a commitment to renewable energy that can significantly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. It will significantly contribute to reducing Cimaf’s CO2 footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the surplus solar energy will be donated to the national power company.

Cimaf has invested more than $85 billion in Burkina Faso since 2014

For the “boss” of the Cimaf Group, the combination of these two projects should allow to improve the competitiveness of the product in the cement market, since the reduction in production costs will benefit the final consumer, without forgetting to create new jobs in the country. In addition to welcoming the good and close relations between Burkina Faso and the Kingdom of Sharif, he recalled that the two projects are financed up to 70% by the Group and the World Bank. Anas Sefrioui mentioned that, to date, the total investment in Cimaf Burkina Faso is about 85 billion CFA francs. In terms of Cimaf’s contribution to the state tax revenues of Burkina Faso, it exceeds 60 billion CFA francs. It is worth noting that in the coming months, Cimaf will begin to increase the production capacity of the plant to better support the growth prospects of the country’s cement market.

Faso President thanks Cimaf Group

Family photo with Cimaf Burkina Faso staff (Ph. Yvan Sama)

The President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim, praised Cimaf for its contribution in promoting employment and training a qualified national workforce, creating 315 direct and indirect 100% jobs in Burkina Faso. He also welcomed Cimaf’s choice to use local raw materials instead of imported materials for pricing. The head of state assured the businessmen present that his government will spare no effort in the development of industrial units, a factor in job creation, technology transfer and economic development. He therefore praised the courage and determination of foreign investors to ignore the negative stereotypes about the country and actively participate in the economic growth of Burkina Faso.

Research and Development

Box 1: Calcined clay?

“Calcined clay is a very promising raw material for West African countries that do not have large reserves of limestone, which is necessary to make clinker. This cement can reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its manufacturing process by 30% compared to ordinary Portland cement. Today, the Cimaf Group is one of the main cement producers in the field of cement production and marketing. It operates in 13 countries in Africa and has an annual cement production capacity of more than 15 million tons.

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