President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a calcined clay cement plant at the Tema Industrial Enclave, marking a major step in Ghana’s industrialisation agenda and its transition towards low-carbon manufacturing.
The facility, operated by CBI Ghana Limited, producers of Supacem Cement, positions Ghana at the forefront of environmentally friendly cement production globally.
Constructed at an estimated cost of $110 million, the plant has an installed capacity of 1.5 million tonnes of cement and 400,000 tonnes of calcined clay cement annually. It has already created 109 direct jobs for engineers, technicians and other professionals, with more than 1,000 additional jobs generated across the supply chain.
The facility has also been designed to operate continuously in line with the government’s 24-Hour Economy policy.
Low-carbon innovation
The plant uses locally sourced clay from the Torgome Traditional Area in the Volta Region to partially replace imported clinker in cement production, a development expected to significantly reduce carbon emissions and cut the country’s dependence on foreign exchange for clinker imports.
Traditional cement manufacturing is responsible for roughly eight per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. However, calcined clay technology enables the Tema plant to substantially reduce emissions while maintaining the strength and quality required for modern construction.
Speaking at the inauguration, President Mahama said the project comes at a time when the government is investing more than GH¢60 billion in national infrastructure development.
“CBI Ghana Calcined Clay Cement is joining the Big Push programme, supporting roads, interchanges, culverts, and drains built entirely with locally produced cement,” he said.
The President described the project as clear evidence that the government’s Economic Reset Agenda was moving from policy to practical results.
“This investment signals to domestic and international investors that Ghana is serious about industrialisation, sustainability, and private-sector partnership,” he added.
President Mahama said the government aims to increase manufacturing’s contribution to gross domestic product to at least 15 per cent by 2030, with the potential to generate up to 500,000 jobs.
He cited recent factory inaugurations in sectors such as textiles, steel, ceramics and glass as further indications that the country was steadily expanding its industrial base.
The President also noted that the plant could take advantage of opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area, as its high local content satisfies rules-of-origin requirements for trade across the continent.
Climate-smart manufacturing
The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, described the facility as a model for climate-smart industrial development.
“For years, Ghana relied heavily on imported clinker, despite having all the raw materials beneath our feet,” she said.
She explained that the project would help Ghana meet its international climate obligations, including commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 64 million tonnes by 2030.
The minister added that the government would continue to create a conducive environment to attract further industrial investment.
Industry vision
The Managing Director of CBI Ghana, Frederic Albrecht, said the facility was deliberately built with capacity exceeding the company’s immediate needs in order to support the broader transformation of the construction sector.
“We did not build this plant for CBI alone. We built it to support the next generation of construction in Ghana and beyond,” he said.
He encouraged other manufacturers to incorporate locally produced calcined clay into their supply chains to accelerate the transition to greener construction materials.
Mr Albrecht also acknowledged the role of international investors, including Norfund, Impact Fund Denmark and Heidelberg Materials, whose support he said was crucial to the successful completion of the project.
The Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Simone Giger, described the facility as both an industrial landmark and a symbol of sustainable innovation.
“This facility demonstrates what is possible when vision meets investment, technology aligns with local ingenuity, and sustainability becomes a business strategy rather than a slogan,” she said.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh