Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Ethiopia’s East African Holdings on Sunday announced the completion of the landmark project of capping the kiln tail pre-heater frame and closure of rotary kiln, marking 70 percent completion of Ethiopia’s biggest cement manufacturing plant.
Owned in joint venture by China’s West International Holding (WHI) Building Materials and East African Holdings, the Lemi National Cement Factory is being built at a cost $600 million at Lemi Building Material Industrial Park, some150 kilometres north of Addis Ababa.
“With the strong participation of all stakeholders, today we are witnessing inauguration of Africa’s biggest pre-heater frame and rotary kiln with the capacity of producing 10,000 clinker cement tons per day,” Bezuayehu Tadele Chairman of East African Holdings
He said the Lemi 10,000t/d clinker cement project was completed in 11 months, marking the shortest time period to complete construction of pre-heater frame and rotary kiln in Ethiopia.
“The finalization of the kiln tail preheater frame and the closing of the rotary kiln marks that the construction of the of the world renowned Lemi 10,000 tons line has entered the final phase to its completion,” Wang Fayin, CEO of West international holding
Fayin said upon completion, the Lemi National Cement Company along with its subsidiary the Dire Dawa Cement Factory will be supplying 8 million metric tons of cement to the Ethiopian and foreign market per year, covering 50 percent of the total cement demand of the east African nation.
Abebaw Bekele, Deputy Manager of Lemi National Cement Company, said preheater and kiln components of a given factory are considered as heart of a given cement factory and their completion shows the construction of the cement factory is nearing to completion.
“Upon on the order of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, we are working to fully complete the construction of the Lemi National Cement Factory which is believed to be Africa’s biggest cement factory in a span of 15 months, three months ahead of schedule,” Bekele said.
President of Sinoma International Engineering Company Lin Zhong said Lemi National Cement Factory is set to be completed in March 2024 while its civil works are fully completed.
“The project of the Ethiopian Lemi 10,000 clinker cement factory is progressing smoothly and will be completed early and put into operation as soon as possible,” Zhong said.
MG/abj/APA