Oman’s largest cement manufacturer, Raysut Cement Company (RCC) has announced that it has held the groundbreaking ceremony triggering the start of the construction of its $30 million grinding unit in Duqm, Oman.
According to a statement from RCC, the development of the Duqm plant is a strategic expansion that will complement the company’s leadership in cement manufacturing. It stated that the grinding unit in Duqm will add another one million tonnes to the overall group output, taking the total to 7.4 million tonnes per annum.
Joey Ghose, group CEO, RCC, said: “Today’s groundbreaking is a milestone for RCC on two counts. It will contribute significantly to our ambitious capacity expansion targets of 10 million tonnes by 2022 which is expected to be further scaled up to 22 million tonnes in the near future. Second, it will help us generate more employment opportunities aiding our efforts to enhance social and economic progress in Oman.”
Meanwhile, Salim bin Ahmed bin Alawi Al Ibrahim, acting deputy group CEO at RCC, added that the grinding unit will add more muscle to their capability to cater to the regional and global market. He also stated that RCC continues to expand with new investments and acquisitions in Oman, Asia and East Africa.
The statement added that RCC had signed a land lease and Port of Terminal services agreement with Port of Duqm Company SAOC. This was part of the development of the new grinding unit, and was signed in September 2019.
RCC’s investments are calibrated to ensure that these are in locations where demand is high and locally available additives are at close proximity, Al Ibrahim said, adding that the Duqm unit will help the company consolidate and strengthen its presence in Oman and the neighboring Gulf markets.
The statement also noted that RCC has been on a spree of expansion through M&As and new investments in Oman as well as globally in the past one year.
“Our aim is to develop RCC into a global leader in cement manufacturing, supply and exports, and the development of Duqm is an important element in this strategy. Our expansions are dovetailed to the opportunities that exist and are upcoming in the markets we focus on, like for instance in East Africa, a booming market for the next 50 years,” Ghose concluded.
