Nigeria: Dangote Cement intends to start mining its own coal at Ankpa, Kogi State in order to cope with gas shortages in the country. The coal will be of a high enough quality to be used without blending. Most of the cement producer’s production lines in Nigeria will have operational coal mills by September 2016. At present the company is using locally purchased coal that is blended with imported coal to ‘assure optimal quality.’
“Our investment in coal is enabling us to reduce our dependence on both oil and gas as fuel sources, thus protecting our production from disruption and improving margins,” said chief executive Onne van der Weijde.