Local cement manufacturer Savannah Cement has confirmed plans to expand its market reach beyond Kenya to the neighboring regional countries.
The market reach expansion program at Savannah Cement will also involve a local market enhancement program to satisfy a growing demand for high-quality cement products as the government’s efforts to roll out affordable housing under the Big 4 agenda continues to gain steam
According to Savannah Cement Managing Director Ronald Ndegwa, as part of the market expansion plans, the firm, is currently undertaking a Kshs. 5 billion capacity grinding plant expansion program at its Kitengela manufacturing complex.
Speaking, at an event to mark Savannah Cement’s 7th anniversary, the expansion project, Ndegwa said, involves the construction of a 1,200,000 tons per year milling plant to double the firm’s current installed capacity.
The project which is currently underway, he said, is running on schedule with plans to commission the second grinding plant by the end of the year.
“At Savannah Cement, we are banking on the regional market opportunities and those presented by the affordable housing projects under the Big Four agenda which promises better prospects for the local cement market,” Ndegwa said, adding that, “The integration of a second grinding plant which is a state-of-the-art vertical roller mill has been configured to ensure a dust-free manufacturing system and will also serve to enhance our environmental conservation commitments.”
As part of the expansion project, Savannah Cement contractors are currently installing an energy-efficient vertical cement grinding mill supplied by the FLSmidth, the Danish engineering solutions provider. Contractors are also installing belt conveyors, storage silos, packing plant and dust arrestors with all the supporting accessories to guarantee safe and environmentally friendly operations.
Established in 2012, Savannah Cement has progressively cemented its growth foundation in the local and regional market. Powered by corporate investment support estimated at more than Kshs 10 billion, Savannah Cement is a local company owned by indigenous Kenyan investors. The Company operates a state of the art, eco-friendly cement grinding plant with an output capacity of 1 million tons a year. The plant is strategically placed near Nairobi, which accounts for 50% of Kenya’s cement consumption.
The current Savannah Cement plant features a 1200 tonnes-per-day pozzolana drier to ensure moisture-free mill feed. The entire site is also fully automated and is run from a central control room, which enables the balance between production efficiency and quality to be consistently met.
Savannah was the first local cement company to market Rapid strength development cement (32.R and 42.5R) and also produces the 42.5N cement type. The specially formulated “R” cement gains strength rapidly ahead of the normal strength development curve.
“Savannah cement has been operational for seven years now and during this period we have managed to emerge on top of the game in terms of quality consistency. Our plans are to continue fulfilling our customers’ needs and ensure maximum penetration in the East African markets,” Ndegwa assured.
