Malabar Cements Limited (MCL) will resume operations at its Cherthala unit in the Indian state of Kerala, by the end of this month, having secured uninterrupted clinker supplies.

K Padmakumar, managing director of MCL told 'The Hindu' that a ship carrying 27,010t of clinker had reached the Cochin port from Fujairah, which would be transported by road to Cherthala soon. 

The unit stopped functioning in 2009 due to a shortage of clinker supplies, as MCL's Walayar cement plant in Kerala was not able to share its clinker production with the Cherthala plant. Clinker is now being sourced through the invitation of e-tenders.

The company that was awarded the e-tender has assured the management of uninterrupted supply of clinker throughout the year. The price is lower than the clinker it previously sourced from the Cement Corporation of India. "As per the arrangement, MCL can save US$16.1/t," said K Abdul Samad, chief mechanical engineer of MCL. With the Cherthala plant back on stream, MCL’s production capacity would grow to 0.2Mta.

The Cherthala is now preparing to restart operations on 26 February 2015. Mr Padmakumar said the Cherthala unit would have a production capacity of 600tpd.