DRC Considers Reviving Cement Factory Closed 10years Ago

Economies around the globe are adjusting to self-reliance owing to the impact of #Covid-19 pandemic which has forced all to shut their borders meaning they can only survive with internal mechanisms.

Democratic Republic of Congo is also considering a grand plan to resuscitate its cement production plant that has been idle and rusting away since 2011 when it was closed down.

The DRC has been mainly reliant on cement (CIMERWA) produced from neighbouring Rwanda which has been tapping into a DRC-Burundi combined demand of 900,000 tonnes per year.

In 2016 Rwanda commissioned its 600,000t/yr Cimerwa cement plant in Bugarama, Rusizi near the border with DRC.

On Monday, DRC’s Industry Minister Julien Paluku called for an “urgent” revival of activities of the National Cement Plant (CINAT). He said during his inspection of the cement plant.

“Among the businesses to be relaunched urgently, there is the National Cement Plant. I have come to realize what is going on. The production capacity of this factory was 300,000 tonnes per year. I saw the quarry, the capacity of which is estimated at 18 million tonnes of limestone with a 60-year exploitation potential. But the production tool has been stopped since 2011. The government will receive the report that I will produce to motivate the urgent revival of this production unit, “said Minister Paluku.

The “rapid” revival of CINAT could thus increase the cement production capacity in the country and create more jobs for the Congolese, explained Minister Paluku, after his interview with the management committee of the production unit.

“It is important” to relaunch this company which employs more than 200 people and participates in the reconstruction of this country, “said the minister.

Before reviving the industry, the Minister promised, “there will be a technical audit that will be done to reassure us of the current state of the factory.”

For Minister Paluku, the revival of this factory is to be placed in the implementation of the industrial policy and strategies adopted in the Council of Ministers.