Cement manufacturer, Lafarge Cement WAPCO, has commissioned its N23 billion power plant in Ewekoro Ogun State, in a move to ameliorate the power crisis currently facing the country.
The N23 billion plant, which consists of six units of 15 Megawatts power plant will generate a total of 90 megawatts both to fire Lafarge’s Lakatabu cement plant and to support Nigeria’s quest for power sufficiency.Managing Director of Lafarge Cement WAPCO, Mr. Samy Abdelkader, who spoke during the commissioning ceremony in Ewekoro chaired by governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, stressed that the 90 megawatt power plant, which will be fired with gas and liquid fuel, will efficiently supply the factory’s power need and boost power supply in the country.
He said, “The N23 billion power plant, which consists of six 15 megawatts units will be the first operating dual firing plant in Nigeria. It has a dual-firing system, which can make it to use both gas and liquid fuel. The importance of the power plant to stable cement production cannot be overestimated in our commitment to ensure availability and affordable cement for Nigerians especially considering the various power related challenges our company has encountered in past”.
According to him, the idea of its new plant was conceived in 2008, while construction started with the foundation laying ceremony February 2009.
The Managing Director added that the Lakatabu factory will be giving birth in the next few weeks as it is finalising the construction of the infrastructure necessary to make cement.
“I want to assure you that Lafarge WAPCO is wholly committed to remaining a true leader by delivering value to our customers and the built sector. What you are experiencing today is a reflection of the fact that when we promise, we deliver. We are completing the plant on schedule as promised to all our stakeholders,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the Ewekoro II will not just be a cement plant, noting that it will be an embodiment of its commitments to innovation and customer care, a developed work force, with adherence to high quality products and standards, commitments to the values of health and safety and corporate governance.
He said upon the commissioning, the company will be contributing around 12,000 tonnes of cement on a daily basis to the Nigeria cement market. “Our new plant will be a further testimony to our company’s leadership in innovation as it has the capacity to produce four different qualities of cement to better serve customers’ special requirements,” he said.
He added that the company has keyed into the Federal Government’s backward integration policy, which aims at self-sufficiency in cement production.
He commended the Federal government’s support to local manufacturers of cement, adding that the company is convinced it will achieve an appreciable stability in the cement sub-sector when there is more volume of cement available to Nigerians. He pointed out that availability will on the long run have a major impact on affordability which is of great concern to the company.
In his remark during the ceremony, the Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, hailed the efforts of the company in the industrialisation of Ogun State and the nation at large.
He pledged his government’s commitment towards improving the operating environment, to ensure that industries and the entire private sector do not have a hard time operating from Ogun State.
He also stated that the Ogun state government was interested in partnering with Lafarge in various areas to improve infrastructure in the state.
According to Amosun, with Abeokuta requiring only about 30 megawatts power supply to power the entire capital, the state will be looking into a strategic partnership with Lafarge to make that possible in the nearest future.
Apart from seeking partnership with Lafarge in respect of independent power projects, Amosun also said the state will be requiring partnership with Lafarge in the construction of high quality international standard trailer parks in the Mowe-Ibafon axis of Ogun state to end the menace caused by parked trailers on express roads.
Amosun said “Government will do everything within its power to make Ogun state secure and peaceful. We are planning a security trust fund to be established in the state and will be requiring free will donations from individuals and private sector bodies in order to assist the police and other security agencies in the state.”
Acknowledging the 4.5 million metric tonnes total cement production capacity of Lafarge WAPCO, the governor charged them to expand their business and boost output to a minimum of 10 million metric tonnes per annum in the near future.
Chairman, Lafarge Cement WAPCO, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, said the N23 billion 90-megawatt plant the company is commissioning is a clear demonstration of Lafarge’s strong commitment to the Federal Government’s backward integration policy, which emphasises on availability and affordability of cement in the country through the encouragement of local cement manufacturers.
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