Kathmandu, Nov. 24
Citing the growing production and decreasing demands in the
domestic market owing to the sluggish development and construction, President
of Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) of Nepal, Dhruba Thapa, has urged the
government and stakeholders to create a favourable environment for increasing the
export and consumption of cement.
The country's cement industry has an annual production
capacity of 22 million tons while demand has gone down to 9 million tons a year
last year. Industry estimates tell that the production capacity would rise to
25 tons a year by 2024.
"Cement production plants are running at a rate of only
about 25 per cent of their capacity, this is an alarming situation so we need
to increase the domestic demand by various means and seek export opportunities
in bordering Indian provinces," said Thapa while speaking at a programme jointly
organised on Thursday by Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA)
India, CMA Nepal, Minergy and IIDS Nepal to inform the domestic cement
producers about LC3 – a new technology in cement production.
Cement producers have long been urging the government to expedite
the development projects, and mobilise capital budget in effective ways to
consume more cement.
"Using concrete while constructing roads will be
beneficial in the long-term. Exporting cement is another solution. There is a
huge cement market in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, two neighbouring provinces of
India," said Thapa.
Two cement companies – Arghakhanchi and Tansen cement
industries - have exported cement to India. Meanwhile, through the budget of
the current Fiscal Year 2022/23, the government of Nepal has announced 8 per
cent cash incentives on the export of cement.
Till 2000, the cement production was the government domain,
and the private sector began to invest in the sector with the beginning of the
new millennia, and within a period of two decades, the country has become
self-reliant in cement. "We have begun to export cement to India as well
from this fiscal year 2022/23. Industries are upgrading their manufacturing
practice as per the standards set by India in order to export cement there. It
will take six to seven months," Thapa stated.
This is the process to produce cement as per the Indian
standard guidelines.
The LC3 (Limestone Calcined Clay Cement) is a family of
composite cements containing portland clinker, calcined clay and limestone.
According to Prof. Karen Scrivener of EPFL Switzerland, this technology
promises a sustainable growth of economies by reducing up to 40 per cent carbon
dioxide emission compared to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) at lower investment
and production costs.
She said in her virtual address to the programme that LC3
uses raw materials and technologies that are already used by the cement
industries while the production process is also similar to the way of producing
normal cement.
Stating that cement manufacturers in Nepal are mulling over
reducing the production of cost of cement while being environment-friendly,
Thapa said that the new technology holds importance in terms of environment
protection, and reduction in import of raw materials like slag.
Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies
(MoICS), Dr. Toya Narayan Gyawali, said that the government would look into the
prospects of the new technology and consult with the stakeholders if there
would be a need to create new standards of the product.
"This is a good initiative. The LC3 seems appropriate
for the Least Developed Countries due to its features like less emission, low
cost and high efficiency as said by the experts," he noted.
Silvana Hogg, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Switzerland
in Nepal, said environment smart technologies should be adopted and promoted.
The main raw material in LC3 is kaolinitic clay. Clays
containing 40 per cent to 60 per cent kaolinite are ideal for the production of
this cement while even reddish clays with high iron content are suitable. Such
clays are available in abundance in India and Nepal. This technology uses half
the energy required for clinker production.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 25 November 2022.
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