Cement production upped to 1 million tons per year
Ohorongo Cement board member Tania Hangula (left) and deputy board Chairman, Mr. Gerhard Hirth assisting the deputy Minister of Mines and Energy, Hon Kornelia Shilunga (right) to cut the ribbon to inaugurate the third packaging line.
20 December 2016 – When Ohorongo Cement inaugurated its third packaging line, it shifted cement production up a gear to one million tons per annum. This is sufficient for Namibia’s domestic demand and for a small percentage of exports.
The new production unit allows Ohorongo Cement to produce and supply Namibia with various types of consistent high quality cement while the new packaging line will increase the packaging of cement from the current 4400 bags per hour to 6800 bags per hour. In addition to the packaging line Ohorongo Cement has also installed a 2 ton Big Bag filling station to optimize logistics for large projects.
The expansions required an investment of N$150 million. It equips the local cement manufacturer with the latest technology to improve both unit costs and efficiency.
The additional production unit and packaging line was inaugurated by the deputy Minister of Mines and Energy, Hon Kornelia Shilunga. This additional investment by Ohorongo Cement is testimony to the importance the company places on Namibia’s development, she said just before cutting the ribbon to officially release the facility for production.
She further commended the company for setting the bar high for future investors in terms of execution, standard and quality for all value addition products.
“This further strengthens our credibility as a nation that in as much as we invite investors, we also expect them to produce products that are of world class and quality” Shilunga said.
At the same occasion the Namibian Standards Institute certified Ohorongo Cement’s products for all the requirements of the Namibian Standard, NAMS/EN 197-1:2014 for common cement.
The scope of certification covers five types of cement: CEM II A-LL 42.5N, CEM II B-LL 32.5N, CEM II B-V 42.5N, CEM I 42.5R, and CEM I 52.5N.
Chief Executive of the Standards Institution, Chie Wasserfall explained that this certificate will allow Ohorongo Cement to enter the Zambian and Botswana market without additional certification and inspections. “Ohorongo Cement will be allowed to use the marks of conformity on the specified cements. This gives customers and end-users peace of mind whenever purchasing or using the cement on which the NSI mark appears,” she said.
