The BUA’s Group’s $500m, three-million-metric tonnes Edo Cement Company located at Okpella, Edo State will be inaugurated early next year.
This was made known by the Chairman, BUA Group, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, at the signing of the $35m contract agreement between BUA Group and Siemens to build a new gas turbine power plant for the cement factory at Okpella.
The contract, signed at BUA’s London office, was for Siemens to supply 3 SGT 500 turbines manufactured by Siemens Industrial Turbo Machinery AB in Finspang, Sweden with a total capacity of about 45 Megawatts of electricity to supply power to the ultra modern $500m cement plant currently under construction and expected to be completed early 2014.
Rabiu expressed satisfaction with Julius Berger Plc’s pace of work at the cement company.
“I am particularly very impressed so far by the civil construction work done by Julius Berger. Seventy per cent of the cement plant equipment have been shipped and are currently on site, and the pace of work by Julius Berger is very comprehensive and impressive. By early 2014, the cement factory will be ready for use,” he said.
Rabiu said the capacity of the plant under construction was three million metric tonnes per annum and would significantly contribute to cement availability to Nigerian consumers.
According to the BUA Group, the SGT-500 turbines are unique for the African market because they offer flexibility in optimising investment returns, extremely low maintenance costs, high reliability and limited number of personnel required for their operation and maintenance.
BUA Group acquired Edo Cement in 2010 and has since then been committed to transforming the factory to world-class standard, which further underscores the backward integration policy of the Federal Government.
“The contract between BUA Group and Siemens further buttresses this commitment,” it said.
According to the firm, Siemens has been active in Nigeria for over 50 years, where it actively participates in industry, energy and health care sectors, while Siemens IT Solutions and Services functions across all the three sectors.