Morocco’s CIMAF will build a new cement works in Mali – the company's seventh cement works in sub-Saharan after its expansion plans in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A ceremony to mark the start of construction was held in the rural town of Dio, where the plant will be located. It is the second works to be sited in the area after the unit built by India’s Diamon Cements.

The CIMAF works will have a capacity of 0.5Mta (with option to expand to 1Mta) and represents an investment of XAF19.6bn (US$41.1m). The project will take 18 months to complete and includes the construction of a grinding unit with a 70tph ball mill, a packing department with two rotary packers and bulk facilities.

Output will be sold on the domestic market as well as sub-regional markets.