Local news media is reporting that Dangote Cement Ghana Limited has acquired new land to build a grinding and bagging plant in Takoradi.
Dangote Cement is already present in Ghana with a packing plant that is being expanded to 1.5 million t capacity through the addition of new silos and the upgrade of existing equipment. The new plant will grind clinker, mix it with the necessary additives to make cement, and pack it. The combined capacity of the plants will reach 3 million t.
This news will no doubt be well received in Ghana, which is suffering a shortage of cement at present that has led GHACEM to refute speculation that the company has reduced production. The company produces 58 000 tonnes of cement each week and claims that the shortfall is a result of power outages affecting production and the depreciation of the cedi (the currency of Ghana), which is putting importers off selling their products in Ghana. A spokesperson for the company told press that the pressure is on GHACEM to meet this shortfall. He called on the government to help improve the power supply, which is particularly impacting operations at the Takoradi plant.
Cement production in Ghana is limited by the availability of good quality limestone.
Edited from various sources by Katherine Guenioui