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Shayona to build cement mills in Blantyre, Mzuzu

 

Shayona Cement Corporation will install cement mills in Blantyre and Mzuzu once construction of the second phase at its factory in Kasungu is completed in 2017, managing director Jitendra Patel has said.

Speaking in an interview after members of the Malawi Institution of Engineers (MIE) Central Region Chapter visited the mines and the factory in Kasungu on Saturday, Patel said the cement manufacturing firm wants to spread its tentacles nationwide, hence the decision to invest in the two regions.

Shayona Cement factory in Kasungu
Shayona Cement factory in Kasungu

He did not disclose how much the company will invest in the equipment that is used to grind the hard, nodular clinker from the cement kiln into fine grey powder that is cement.

“We have ambitious plans to expand our operations so that we reach our customers in the South and North with ease. Once we are through with the second phase of construction, we will install cement mills in Mzuzu and Blantyre so that we ease challenges we face in transporting cement o the two regions,” said Patel, observing that the tour was organised for engineers to appreciate how Shayona products are made since they are an integral part in the construction sector.

MIE Central Region Chapter chairperson Lindani Munthali said the expansion of the company’s production capacity from 15 tonnes of cement per hour to 50 tonnes per hour will impact positively on the availability of cement in the country, making construction affordable to many Malawians.

Director for Zingano and Associates, Bernard Zingano, who was guest of honour, said the growth of Shayona in the cement manufacturing sector is good news to the country because it can help to save trees once the country adopts usage of cement in making bricks.

“It is engineers who can save the country from deforestation and the expansion of Shayona is good news to the country because locally-produced cement can easily reach all corners of the country,” he said.

Shayona Cement Corporation recently   acquired a loan of $50 million (about K22 billion) to embark on phase two of the construction of the rotary cement manufacturing plant, which will have a crusher, stacker reclaimer, raw mill, coal mill, pre-heater column, cooler, conveying systems and a central automated control room.

The company started producing cement in 1997 with a rated production capacity of 100 tonnes per day from 250 kilns, employing less than 100 people.

Production has now grown steadily to 400 tonnes per day while clinker production capacity is now at 650 tonnes per day.

After completion of the second phase of the manufacturing plant, the company will be producing 1 200 tonnes of cement per day, which will be enough to meet national requirement and export the surplus.

 

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