Seven Days Update, Vol. 20 No. 24

Ethiopia’s annual production of cement has reached 12.12 million t, more than double the current domestic demand, the Ministry of Industry (MoI)  disclosed. Ethiopia’s current domestic demand for cement is estimated to be around 5.4 million t, according to data from the MoI. “Due to the construction boom and the country’s rapid growth we expect the annual demand for cement to grow,” Melaku Taye, public relations and communications director at MoI, told. Under the Growth and Transformation Plan, Ethiopia plans to raise its annual cement production to 27 million t (WIC, Aug. 3).

The construction of the main irrigation canal which makes up part of Tana Beles Integrated Sugar Development Project has been completed. The main canal stretches 30.5 km from a six-gate river diversion weir structure built on Tana Beles. The diversion weir, finalized in June 2013, diverts the water which flows downwards after generating 460 MW of electricity for Tana Beles hydroelectric dam. The 4.6 m high and 13 m long diversion weir has the capacity to discharge 60 cub.m of water per second.  Melke Tadesse, project manager, said the construction of secondary and tertiary canals that will carry water to the plantation are underway. - The Tana Beles sugar project will develop 50,000 ha of land in Awi and Jawi weredas of Amhara region and 25,000 ha in Dangur wereda of the Benishangul-Gumuz region. According to the project manager, of the total 75,000 ha needed for the project, land clearing works have been finalized on 30,000 ha. The Tana Beles Integrated Sugar Development Project is a 31 bio birr project and includes the construction of three sugar factories each with a crushing capacity of 12,000 tons of cane per day (WIC, Aug. 6).

The Chinese company undertaking the construction of Wolkait sugar factory has been given eighteen months to complete the building. The factory, one of the ten sugar factories planned under the growth and transformation plan, is being built by the popular Chinese company CAMC Engineering (CAMCE) in western Tigray. Amenay Mesfin, project manager of Wolkait Sugar Development, told that construction in full swing after initial delays due to design revision, resettlement issues and lack of adequate infrastructures such as access to road. The project is being undertaken in phases and when fully completed, the factory will have the capacity to crush 24,000 t of cane per day (tcd). The project will cover more than 45,000 ha of land with sugarcane plantations primarily relying on the Zarema River. Sur Construction, subcontracted by Metals Engineering Corporation (MetEC), is undertaking the construction of the irrigation dam dubbed ‘May Day’ on Zarema River, which borders the Waldiba Monastery. This dam, upon completion, will have 845 m width and 142 m height with a reservoir capacity of 3.8 billion cub.m of water (WIC, Aug. 3).