Kribi: PM Dion Ngute inaugurates multi-billion CIMPOR cement factory.

He gave the reassurance in the seaside town of Kribi, in Ocean Division of the South Region, Friday July 19.

Dion Ngute was speaking while inaugurating the multi-billion CIMPOR Cameroon S.A cement factory, on behalf Head of State, Paul Biya.

Addressing guests at the ceremony, attended by all the movers and shakers of the South Region, the PM said the CIMPOR cement factory is the fruit of an “ambitious project that combines political orientations with socio-economic considerations, without forgetting technological progress and environmental requirements”. 

Dion Ngute said the investment feat is also the result of the “political will of the Head of State, Paul Biya, to put in place an environment conducive to the flourishing of private investment within the framework of an efficient public-private partnership”. 

The PM further assured all present at the ceremony that “government remains ready to welcome, guide and offer specific support to any entrepreneur wishing to set up business in Cameroon, in general, and in this port area in particular, with the ambition of making this project profitable”. 

In view of the strategic forecast, Dion Ngute sounded upbeat that the “establishment of the CIMPOR cement plant on this site represents an additional step in the dynamic expansion of the Kribi industrial port zone, and correlatively, in the economic influence of the South Region”. 

South Region a vast construction site 

Dion Ngute also told the population that in recent years, much has been done to promote the development of the South Region. 

Citing the case of infrastructure, he said the Region has benefited from a number of achievements in the road, urban development, water and energy sectors.

The Region, the PM said, “remains a vast construction site in terms of the various works in progress, which are set to intensify as other projects are finalised with a view to starting up shortly”. 

The Autonomous Port of Kribi, Dion Ngute added, “is an indisputable asset for the Region, in that it constitutes a development hub around which a number of promising initiatives are germinating and consolidating”.

He said the Region’s numerous local potentials, particularly in terms of mining, augur a radiant future for the population, especially as the Mbalam Iron Ore Mining Project, which covers part of the Dja and Lobo Division, is making appreciable progress.

He also cited a litany of other ongoing projects in Kribi I, Campo and Lokoundje Subdivisions, which he said, lend credence to government's determination to promote socio-economic activities that contribute to building a prosperous South Region. 

The PM mentioned the Lobé Iron Ore Mining Project, which construction is actively underway, the Grand Zambi Iron Ore Mining Project, and those which implementations will soon take off such as the Ngovayang Iron Mining Project, the Ntem Iron Mining Project, and the Limestone Mining at Mintom. 

Factory to boost local production, reduce importation of materials

Dion Ngute disclosed that the investment of CIMPOR Group in the cement factory is estimated at almost 50 billion FCFA. 

He added that the company’s production process is based on the “valourisation of locally available clay, thereby reducing the quantities of imported clinker by 25 to 40%”. 

With industrial process that contributes to limiting the cement industry's carbon footprint, the CIMPOR cement factory, Dion Ngute said, plans to guarantee the supply of around 800,000 tonnes of cement per year. He said the company will offer jobs to 190 permanent staff, coupled with the creation of numerous indirect jobs. 

Urges CIMFOR to diversify 

The Prime Minister congratulated the senior executives of CIMPOR Cameroun S.A, for choosing Cameroon to carry out the “remarkable” multi-billion investment, noting that they squarely share in the dynamic industrial development of the country, in line with the economic policy defined by the Head of State.

“I would like to salute the determination with which CIMPOR Cameroun has embraced the development objectives I outlined a moment ago,” Dion said, while like Oliver Twist, urging the company’s executives to consider the cement plant as a “first successful experience that should enable them to diversify their areas of intervention in Cameroon”.

Dion Ngute assured CIMFOR officials that “our territory is rich in natural resources, just as the investment niches are diversified”. 

He said the government would be delighted to count the CIMPOR Group among its partners in the process of the country's global economic integration, given the leverage that the African Continental Free Trade Zone now represents. 

“To ensure that this initiative continues to be actively pursued, it is important that it be supported by a robust local industrial fabric, which will enable our economy to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by this regional trade area. In any case, my most fervent wish is that the Cameroonian industrial environment will see the emergence of more companies similar to CIMPOR, i.e. endowed with as much genius and ingenuity to guarantee their vitality,” Dion Ngute stated. 

Enter CIMPOR Group CEO 

Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of CIMPOR Group Holdings, Suat Çalbiyik, said they are determined to contribute to the development of Cameroon and help the country achieve its infrastructure development goals.

"Cameroon has come to the attention of the world thanks to our innovative technologies on an industrial scale. We believe that this situation will play an important role in promoting Cameroon for potential investors,” he stated. 

He described the plant in Kribi as “the first of its kind all over the world”, adding that it will produce 400,000 tonnes of calcined clay annually. 

This, the CEO added, will be done by “using calcined clay”. He said they will “reduce CO² emissions by 40%”. 

“This shows our commitment to the environment,” he noted. 

With goal to meet local demand for cement in Cameroon, the CEO said the option to use local materials is part of the company’s vision to serve the public with up-to-date cement quality.

“We use 40% local raw materials clay in Kribi. This will be our first for Cameroon. We have invested approximately 100 million euros in this plant. This investment means building a future for Cameroon,” Çalbiyik stated.

The CEO said the construction of the new cement factory “will increase Cameroon’s export capacity and support economic growth. These investments show our confidence in Cameroon’s potentials”

Enter Kribi City Mayor 

In his welcome address, the City Mayor of Kribi, Guy Emmanuel Sabikanda, saluted the development strides of government, noting that the area will remain loyal to President Paul Biya, for the completion of the other ongoing development projects. 

The municipal authority announced that the people of Kribi have chosen President Paul Biya as their candidate for the 2025 presidential election. 

The City Mayor also used the occasion to, on behalf of the population, thank CIMPOR cement plant, for the opportunities offered the population by the company. 

He mentioned the numerous employment opportunities, the creation of new sources of income linked to the production and the sale of cement, the growth of inter-urban economic flows, poverty reduction, among others, as immediate benefits of the cement factory in Kribi. 

About CIMPOR cement factory 

CIMPOR is known for their strong commitment to sustainability, innovation and contribution to local communities.

It is expected that the new factory will produce the best quality cement, using the calcined clay technology with a much lower carbon footprint. Given the traditional cement production methods, the technology not only has much lower greenhouse gas emissions but also supports sustainability-based production with less thermal and electrical energy consumption. 

With CIMPOR’s calcined clay production technology, namely “deOHClay”, it would be possible to save up to 80% in CO² emissions, up to 35% in electrical energy consumption, and up to 40% in thermal energy consumption per ton, compared to conventional clinker production. 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3176 of Monday July 22, 2024