ZAMBIA: Cement prices likely to drop

The price of cement is likely to reduce significantly on the Copperbelt following the expansion project that Lafarge Cement Zambia has embarked on in Ndola.

The firm intends to spend €8 million on the expansion project of a finish grinding mill, which is expected to add 100,000 metric tonnes of cement production from the current 400,000 metric tonnes produced at its Ndola cement plant.

Company plant manager Friday Nyimbili said the price of the commodity which is currently selling between K65 and K85 will drastically reduce.

“Yes, with the effects of demand and supply, we are hopeful to reduce prices on the market. We know that there are other players on the market and new ones that are coming, but with increased supply, the prices will fall,” Mr Nyimbili said at an environmental consultative meeting on the expansion project at Ndola Cement plant.

Mr Nyimbili said the firm is undertaking the expansion project to keep up with the rising demand.

The project, which will be a complete portable grinding solution consisting of several functional units to be located within the plant next to the existing mill, will also be equipped with a pneumatic transport system to convey products to the existing silos at the packing plant.

He said all the dust generated will be captured using European-based advanced technology while all material transfer points will be equipped with bag filters.

On the positive impact, he said the projects includes job creation, tax payments, reduction in dust and green-house gas emissions by a more controlled filtration system and increased output of cement to the market.

Some of the negative impacts highlighted include marginal increase in noise within the plant, increased demand on service providers and potential dust emissions, mitigated by enclosed facilities.

But most residents of Itawa, Ndeke and McKenzie townships expressed concern at the dust emissions from the existing plant saying the firm should consider replacing it with modern equipment.

Ndola district commissioner Rebby Chanda also called on the company to provide more mobile ambulances to help treat the community members and ensure that benefits trickle down to consumers once the project is implemented.