According to local news sources, Ethiopia’s Chemicals and Construction Materials Development Institute has announced that both Ethio Cement and Dangote’s Mugher plant will begin operations in October.
Samuel Halala, Director General of the Institute, stated that construction of Ethio Cement is approximately 90% complete and work on Dangote’s Mugher plant is around 75% complete. Once up and running, the two plants are expected to increase the country’s cement production capacity to some 15.7 million tpa, from the current 12.2 million tpa.
Halala further noted that there has been an increase in investments in the sector. Around 18 of the 24 projects licensed for cement manufacturing in the country have already started production. As a result, Ethiopia has recorded an increase in exports to neighbouring countries; the country exported US$7 million worth of cement in the first ten months of the current fiscal year.
Edited from various sources by Rosalie Starling