Displaying items by tag: Karsan Ramji & Sons

Kenya: Cement companies are in the process of expanding their total clinker production capacity by 70% to 10.7Mt/yr by 2023 from 6.3Mt/yr. The Business Daily newspaper has reported that six producers – Bamburi Cement, East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC), Karsan Ramji & Sons, National Cement, Rai Cement and Savannah Cement – will add a total of 4.4Mt/yr to their clinker capacities.

Global Cement News previously reported that Kenya faced a 3.3Mt/yr national clinker shortage on 13 October 2021. Domestic producers are in the process of lobbying the government to raise the duty on imports of clinker to 25% from 10%.

Kenya: Kitengela-based quarry operator Karsan Ramji & Sons is stepping up its investments in the cement business with the planned construction of a cement plant in Nakuru, the second such project in the past 12 months.

Karsan Ramji & Sons has sought regulatory approval to set up a 700t/day (224,000t/yr) cement plant in Engashura, some 7km from Nakuru. The company recently completed the construction of a similar-sized cement plant in Athi River and in June 2015 began selling cement under the brand name Ndovu.

"If we secure regulatory approvals in time, construction will begin in December 2015 and the plant will begin operating by November 2016," said Kishor Varsani, Karsan Ramji & Sons' managing director. The plant will use imported clinker while pozzolana and gypsum will be sourced locally from its quarries.

Also in Kenya, Nigeria's Dangote Cement plans to build a US$395m cement plant in Kitui, while India's Sanghi Group plans to construct a US$119m cement plant in West Pokot. Kenya's 2014 cement production grew by 16.4% year-on-year to 5.88Mt, up from 5.05Mt in 2013 as a result of new players entering the industry. Cement production in the country has consistently outpaced consumption, which stood at 4.26Mt and 5.19Mt in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

"Everybody knows that there is currently an oversupply of cement in the Kenyan market," said Varsani. "However, our decision to diversify our business into this sector is based on the belief that demand for cement will soon outpace supply. This is in line with the expected growth of the economy and construction industry."

Karsan Ramji & Sons' maiden Athi River plant is located about 500m from the plants of its two rivals, Mombasa Cement and Bamburi Cement. Other competitors in the neighbourhood include ARM Cement and East Africa Portland Cement. The plant, which recently started operations was initially to be built in Kitengela, but residents opposed the project citing health and environmental concerns, forcing the investor to relocate the venture to Athi River.

Kenya: Karsan Ramji & Sons Ltd, a Kitengela-based quarry operator, has announced that it will begin construction of a 700t/day cement grinding plant by the end of 2014.

Karsan Ramji & Sons has revealed plans to build a US$4.91m mini cement plant in Athi River, adding competition pressures in an industry whose prices have remained flat for about a decade. It will be compete with established players such as Bamburi, East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) and ARM Cement, which together control 77% of Kenya's cement market.

"We are waiting for all of the approvals before we can kick off," said Kishon Varsani, managing director of Karsan Ramji & Sons. The cement plant will import clinker and source pozzolana and gypsum from its quarries in Kajiado and Kilifi.