ETHIOPIAN CEMENT PLANTS ENCOURAGED TO TURN TO BIOMASS

The Ethiopian government hopes that more cement plants will consider
replacing their coal imports with locally-produced biomass to reduce foreign
currency spending and cut carbon emissions. 

Many of Ethiopia’s 17 factories import coal from South Africa at a cost of
US$220m annually.

The CCIIDD is working with the cement industry to replace foreign
coal with local biomass.

“If we can replace 40% of the coal with the biomass, we can save up
to US$88m per year,” said Samuel Healala, director general of the
Chemicals and Construction Inputs Industry Development Institute (CCIID).

“This is part
of the government’s initiative to reduce carbon emissions by 2025,” said
State Minister of Trade and Industry, Yohannes Dinkaye. The Minister added that
the move towards biomass will face challenges. “It will require a huge
investment and vast land. We are looking at whether the cement factories
themselves would invest in biomass production or other investors would
venture into the business,” he said.

The CCIID has selected the Afar region for farming the biomass blocks for the cement industry with funding from the European Union secured. The wild weed called ‘Prophecies Newfora’ will be processed into biomass. 

Dangote Cement and Habesha Cement have already been using biomass and locally-mined coal, said Mr Dinkayehu. https://www.cemnet.com/News/story/166973/ethiopian-cement-plants-encouraged-to-turn-to-biomass.html