Cement industry newcomer, Prime Cement, plans to construct a US$65m plant in Musanze District, Northern Province, Rwanda.

The company has reportedly signed an equipment supply deal with FLSmidth, according to an article by The New Times (Rwanda).

Gisele Bayigamba, general manager Milbridge Holding, the consortium that owns Prime Cement, said construction of the 0.7Mta facility will begin in the 3Q18.

Cimerwa currently operates Rwanda’s sole integrated cement plant. The company, in which PPC owns a 51 per cent stake, has recently increased capacity at the Rusizi-based plant from 0.1Mta to 0.6Mta by investing US$170m to convert from wet to dry-process technology. Rwanda is also home to Kigali Cement, a subsidiary of ARM Cement, with a 0.1Mta grinding plant just 10km west of the capital Kigali.

Cement consumption in the eastern African country is expected to rise from around 0.56Mt in 2016 to around 0.85Mt by 2020 as Rwanda implements its Vision 2020. The plan aims to transform the country from a low-income, agriculture-based economy to a service-orientated one, with numerous investments in transport, power and water infrastructure in the pipeline.