Raysut Cement Company (RCC), Oman’s largest cement manufacturer with a global footprint, said work is in full swing on its new $30 million grinding unit at Duqm and is on track to go on stream in the fourth quarter of 2021.

 

"Duqm plant will add another one million tonnes to our capacity, helping us cater to Oman and other regional markets with increased supplies, where construction activity is poised to pick up in post-pandemic resurgence," said its Group CEO Joey Ghose.

 

The Duqm plant will raise RCC’s annual group output to 7.4 million tonnes, and help the Muscat Stock Market-listed company raise output to 10 million tonnes by 2022, he stated.

 

As part of developing the Duqm plant, RCC had signed a land lease and Port of Terminal services agreement with Port of Duqm Company. The new grinding unit will also complement RCC’s expansion and new investments and acquisitions in Oman, Asia and East Africa.

 

Last year, RCC had acquired Sohar Cement Company in Oman at $60 million. It is also developing a new greenfield 1.2 million tonnes per annum cement plant near Tbilisi, Georgia, at an investment of $200 million. 

 

A majority takeover of LafargeHolcim’s cement terminal at Thilafushi Islands in Maldives and an investment of $40 million in a grinding unit in Berbera, Somaliland, are other RCC projects.

 

Chief of Support Services and Business Development Yousef Ahmed Alawi Alibrahim said the Duqm unit’s construction has been progressing despite the Covid-19 pandemic situation, thanks to the prudent safety and health protocols in place.

 

"This has been a challenging year for manufacturing industries in general, but RCC has been able to negotiate the hurdles with effective planning focusing on health and safety," he noted.

 

The Duqm plant is also a milestone project for RCC to scale up its output to 22 million tonnes in the near future.-TradeArabia News Service