30 December 2021

Bangladesh: Bashundhara Cement has signed an agreement with China-based Fifth Major Bridge Engineering to supply cement for the Dhaka Ashulia Elevated Expressway. The 24km road will connect Shahjalal International Airport to the Dhaka Export Processing Zone, according to the Daily Sun newspaper. Chinese investors will fund 65% of the estimated cost of the project under Preferential Buyer’s Credit. Bangladesh will have to repay the costs within 20 years, with 2% interest rate and a grace period of five years. Bashundhara cement products are also being used in 14 large scale bridge projects, 11 power plants, and water and sewage treatment plants.

Nepal: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has agreed to supply ten industrial users, including cement producers, with an additional 151MW of electricity as part of a drive to increase domestic consumption. The cement producers concerned include Maruti Cement, Huaxin Cement, Hongshi Shivam Cement and Arghakhanchi Cement, according to the Republica newspaper. The other industrial users are mostly steel producers. In addition another 111MW is in the final stages of being allocated by the NEA to seven other industrial plants and a further 99MW has been identified for further distribution to industrial users. The government-supervised power supplier and distributor has identified around 500MW of wasted electricity supply due to low domestic consumption and a lack of transmission lines.