UAE cement production gets major boost as RAK increases capacities

The capacity expansion projects which were inaugurated yesterday saw the Union Cement Company (UCC) commissioning a 10,000 tpd (Tonnes Per Day) clinker kiln, trebling its annual capacity from 1.2 million tonnes to around 4.2 million tonnes per annum while Gulf Cement Company (GCC) added a second production line which has increased its clinker production capacity from 1.3 million tonnes to 3.8 million tonnes per annum.

Sheikh Saud accompanied by top company officials and dignitaries toured the newly set up facilities of both companies situated at Khor Khuwair.

The capacity addition exercise has helped Ras Al Khaimah, which is the major cement production base in the country, to boost its cement production capacity by around 60 percent to reach a total of over nine million tonnes per annum.

Commenting on the expansion projects, Sheikh Omar bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAK Ruler's Private Affairs Department and Chairman of the Gulf Cement Company said, "The RAK- based cement plants decided to go for major capacity additions as there is a huge demand for cement in the country and the region. The two cement companies have incorporated the latest technology available and with the new capacity additions, RAK cement output has increased by around sixty percent to over nine million tonnes per year now".

Union Cement Company's two- year long massive expansion programme implemented at a cost of AED One billion has turned it into the largest cement producer in the country with a capacity of 4.2 million tonnes per annum.

Abdullah Mohammed Sayyah, Managing Director of UCC, said that apart from the setting up of the clinker kiln, the project also involved setting up of completely covered limestone and silica storage facilities and two clinker silos. He added that the company is also set to add two 210 tonne/hour cement mills which are in the commissioning stage. UCC, which started production in 1975, is the oldest cement company in the UAE.

Ahmed Abdullah Amash, Managing Director of Gulf Cement Company, said that the new 7500 tonnes of clinker per day production line at GCC was set up at a cost of AED 550 million. He said that to rein in the energy cost, which is the major factor in cement production, the company has installed a system that has the capability of converting from one fuel type to another such as gas, coal, and heavy oil fuel. The company now has an installed annual production capacity of 2.7 million tonnes of cement per year and a clinker production capacity of 3.8 million tonnes per year.

He said that GCC has installed a pneumatic loading system to load bulk cement to the receiving ship at a rate of 550 tonnes per hour and provision for direct importing and exporting by the setting up of a Ship Unloading Station with a capacity of 4000 tonnes per day, which is the first of its kind in the UAE. GCC has also spend more than AED 100 million for environmental protection projects such as installation of bag filters, automatic spray system for raw materials, building of a jumbo dome, extending green cover area and covering all raw material yards. The company has been awarded ISO 14001 in 2002 for its environment protection standards.

The booming construction activity in the UAE and the region as a whole has led to a short supply of cement in the market, leading the manufactures to go for major capacity additions.

Ras Al Khaimah currently has five cement companies, the latest addition being the Pioneer Cement Company which was inaugurated in November 2006 with a capacity of One million tonnes per annum. The other cement plants are Ras Al Khaimah Cement Company, which is also implementing a capacity upgrade, and the Ras Al Khaimah Co. for White Cement & Construction Materials.

STAR Cement LLC, an associate company of ETA-ASCON, is planning to establish a greenfield cement plant with a capacity of 5,500 tonnes per day in Ras Al Khaimah.

Sheikh Faisal bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAK Finance Department, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAK Customs and Ports Department, Sheikh Saqr bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Chairman of Union Cement Company and a number of other sheikhs and officials attended the function.