According to local news sources, Basse Sambre, of Belgium, has been contracted to prepare global tender documents for what will be Qatar National Cement Company’s (QNC) 5th plant.
With the country’s already growing cement demand poised for further growth as contracts based around the 2022 FIFA World Cup soon to come into play, the company will find itself in a favourable position once the additional 5000 – 7500 tpd clinker capacity comes online.
When one considers that QNC’s 4 existing plants produce cement at a rate of 14 000 tpd, the significance of the additional clinker capacity becomes clearer. Qatar’s total output in 2010 and 2011 was 4.5 million and 4 million tpa, respectively. In the lead up to the world cup, demand is projected to average 7 million tpa from 2013 – 2022, peaking at 11 million t in 2017/2018. If QNC’s new opening is able to meet a target of 1.5 million tpa, half of the peak demand must still be imported. Naturally, this leaves plenty of scope for further expansion. Keeping its output within the average demand margins might seem like a missed opportunity, but taking advantage of what demand there is, while not committing any capital to the uncertainties of the years beyond the world cup seems a wise choice.
Written by Jack Davidson.