Cameroon is set to significantly increase its cement production with the addition of three new cement plants in Édéa, a town in the Sanaga-Maritime department. These new plants will raise the country’s total production capacity to 12.7 million tons by the end of 2025, helping meet local demand and expand into international markets.

The Minister of Industry, Mines, and Technological Development, Fuh Calistus Gentry, recently visited the plants and two nearby quarries. All three cement plants are being built by Chinese investors in Édéa, the capital of the department.

The first plant, Sino Africaine (Sinafcim), is currently under construction and will have an annual capacity of 1 million tons. It employs 200 workers, with 90% of them being Cameroonian. The first batch of cement is expected to be produced in April 2025.

The second, Central Africa Cement (CAC), has been operating for several months and has a production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per year. It currently employs 100 people, with a plan to reach 200 workers.

The third plant, Yousheng Cement, located on the banks of the Dibamba River near Douala, is still under construction. It will have a production capacity of 1.8 million tons per year.

Once all three plants are up and running, Cameroon’s cement production will rise by 4.3 million tonnes, bringing the country’s total production to 12.7 million tons by the end of 2025. This will not only cover the national demand of 8 million tons but will also position Cameroon to export cement to other countries.

The growth of the cement industry in Cameroon is impressive. With these new plants, the total number of cement production units in the country will rise to nine, marking a major shift since the end of the cement monopoly held by the company Cimencam, a subsidiary of Lafarge Holcim Maroc Afrique (LHMA). Cimencam had dominated the market for 48 years with a production capacity of 2.3 million tons. Since 2015, new players like Dangote Cement, Cimaf, Medcem, Mira Company, and Cimpor have entered the market, making it more competitive.

Despite the increase in production capacity, the price of cement remains high. In major cities like Douala and Yaoundé, a 50 kg bag of cement costs between 5,100 and 5,300 FCFA. Both producers and the government explain these high prices by the costs associated with importing clinker, an essential ingredient in cement production.

Source: Business in Cameroon