BUA Cement has received funding to develop two new production lines at its cement plant in Sokoto state, Nigeria. The US$500m funding will boost BUA’s total production capacity from 11Mta to 17Mta, according to Reuters.

Each line will produce around 3Mta, serving markets in Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso, and run partly on alternative fuels derived from waste and solar power. The funding includes US$160.5m from the International Finance Corp, US$245m in syndicated loans from the African Development Bank, Africa Finance Corp and the German Investment Corp, along with US$94.5m from institutional investors.