ARM Cement plans to increase its grinding capacity by 50 per cent at its 1MT/yr cement plant at Athi River, Kenya. Pradeep Paunrana, Managing Director of ARM Cement, made the comments in a recent interview. The new grinding capacity will use clinker from the company’s plant at Tanga in Tanzania. The upgrade plans follow an equity deal in late 2016 with the CDC Group to secure $140m in funding. However, most of this money has been used to pay off debts.
Paunrana noted that cement demand in the East African region is expected to rise at an annual rate of 8-10 per cent. The cement producer is preparing to build a new cement plant at Kitui in Kenya, but it wants to increase its capacity utilisation rate from its plant in Tanzania first.