Friday, January 17, 2014

NIGERIA: ASHAKA CEMENT EARMARKS N80BN FOR EXPANSION

Ashaka Cement Company yesterday announced plans to inject N80 billion to raise its production capacity to 2.5 million tonnes annually.

Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga, the chairman of the company’s Board of Directors disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Gombe.

The chairman said since the inception of the company about 30 years ago, its installed production capacity had remained about one million tonnes and needed to expand in line with the potentials in the market.
“Some of our equipment are obsolete and we feel that there is the need for us to create a new line for 2.5 million tonnes annually.

“This is the minimum we intend to do, so that the cement we produce would be enough for the entire North-east and some parts of the country,’’ he said.
Kwairanga assured that the expansion work would commence in earnest before the end of the first quarter of the year.

He also disclosed plans by the company to utilise the coal potentials in the area to generate power.
“We want to have a power plant, and luckily for us, we have coal which is like the backbone of the company now.

“We plan to establish a coal power plant to generate electricity for the company’s use and its host community, so that at the end of the day, the people of the community will feel more impact of the company,’’ he said.

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