Avorniga, an Israeli company that leases the Addis Abeba Cement Plant from Mugher Cement Factory has procured 22,000t of clinker from Pakistan. The clinker docked at the Port of Djibouti last week.
 
Avorniga is the second company to import clinker, the first being the Chinese company CGC Overseas. The clinker is imported duty free, a reliable source at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) told Fortune.
 
Two months ago, CGC launched a new brand of cement made from the imported clinker - Koka Cement - on the market. Its cement factory is located around Koka, 98km east of Addis Abeba in the Oromia Regional State.
 
Avorniga has followed suit. The Addis Abeba Cement Plant had been using clinker processed by Mugher, until the Israeli Company took over the plant.
 
The company is set to introduce a new brand of cement - Avorniga Cement - to the market. The cement is being produced according to the specifications of the Mugher Cement Factory.
 
Addis Abeba Cement Plant, located in Kirkos District of Gotera, was built in 1964. Initially it had a production capacity of 70,000tpa. However, in 1996 the plant was forced to stop production of clinker because of the increase in emission levels from the old machinery. It was transformed into a grinding plant, getting about 100,000tpa of clinker from Mugher cement factory for the production of mainly ordinary Portland Cement, with Portland Pozzolana Cement being produced when the need arises. The plant has two cement mills, each with a grinding capacity of 12.5tph.
 
Avorniga envisages supplying 160,000tpa of cement.