As part of efforts to boost its production capacity and enhance the top and bottom-line growth over the next three years, BUA Cement Plc, on Friday announced the signing of an agreement with Wartsila OY of Finland to construct a 70-megawatt dual-fuel power plant for its Sokoto production Line 4 billed for completion in 2023.

A statement by BUA Group recalled that this will be the second plant to be constructed by Wartsila for BUA Cement – the first being the BUA Cement Sokoto power plant scheduled to be commissioned alongside the plant in November 2021.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Chairman of BUA Cement Plc assured of the company’s willingness to continue strategic investments in the West African cement industry to bridge the huge infrastructure and housing deficit in the sub-region.

BUA Cement, he said, “is pleased with the progress that Wartsila made with the construction of the power plant we initially purchased for our BUA Cement Sokoto Line 3 which we expect will begin commissioning by November, alongside the power plant.

“We believe Wartsila will bring the same level of efficiency, technical expertise, and professionalism to bear in ensuring that this new power plant for the 3million Mtpa BUA Cement Sokoto Line 4 will be completed on schedule by the end of next year as we look towards bringing BUA’s total capacity in its Sokoto plant to 8 million metric tonnes by early 2023 and 17million metric tonnes across all its plants by the same time.”

Also speaking, Mark Thiriet, Energy Business Director at Wartsila West Africa expressed pride at the partnership “with BUA Group on this BUA Cement Sokoto Line 4 project. He said that Wartsila will bring its technical expertise and globally recognized technology to bear in bringing the project to completion.”

BUA Cement Plc is Nigeria’s second-largest cement company and the largest producer in its North-West, South-South, and South-East regions. BUA Cement operates strategically from Okpella, Edo State, and Kalambaina, Sokoto State with its headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. It is currently the second most capitalized manufacturing company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), BUA Cement is committed to quality – a differentiating attribute, driven by its people, innovation, and technology; and positioned to solving West Africa’s cement under-capacity while driving economic growth and development.