14th November 2023 11:08:19 AM
3 mins readThe Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has taken decisive action by shutting down the operations of three cement manufacturing companies due to their use of inferior materials in the production process.
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The affected companies are Xin An Safe Cement Ghana Ltd in Ejisu, Kumasi Cement Ghana Ltd in Offinso, and Uniceme Cement Ghana Ltd in Bekwai, all located in the Ashanti Region.
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This move is part of a broader initiative aimed at curbing the production of substandard cement across the country. The GSA is leading this crackdown under the umbrella of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
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Apart from the closure of the companies, the enforcement efforts also include a moratorium on the construction of new cement factories. This restriction will remain in place until a more streamlined permit issuance process is established by regulatory institutions.
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Professor Alex Dodoo, the director-general of the GSA, highlighted in an interview with the Daily Graphic that the exercise is in response to the government's concerns regarding standards, quality assurance, and environmental safeguards in cement production.
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“What we are doing is ensuring fair trade and stability in the manufacturing space. We stand a chance of making this country a hub for manufacturing for the global market and trust is key for any major player who wants to invest in the country,” the director-general said.
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Professor Dodoo emphasized the significance of simplifying the sectors that produced the genuine, long-term jobs that spurred economic expansion.
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Fail test results
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Within the context of the ongoing cement quality audits and surveillance, GSA officers conducted visits to the factories, inspecting and sampling bagged cements along with the constituent materials (raw materials) used in cement production for subsequent laboratory tests.
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The outcomes of the tests conducted on Xin An Safe Cement Ghana Ltd revealed that the limestone used did not meet the stipulated requirements for Calcium Carbonate content in the product. Additionally, the mineral identification analysis indicated that the sample comprised Feldspar and Quartz.
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“In view of this, you are instructed to cease operation/production henceforth until the use of the approved raw materials,” a letter from the GSA to Xin An Safe Cement stated.
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Professor Dodoo clarified that Feldspar and Quartz are not recommended as major constituents of cement. Therefore, the use of these materials as significant components by certain cement manufacturers needs to be immediately discontinued.
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Concerning Kumasi Cement Ghana Ltd, the official test results revealed that Gypsum did not meet the stipulated requirements for the percentage of Calcium Sulphate as mandated in the standard GS C22/C22M-00 (2015). Additionally, limestone used in the production did not conform to the required Calcium Carbonate content as outlined in the standard GS 1118:2016.
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Likewise, the test results from samples obtained at Uniceme Cement Ghana Ltd indicated that the limestone did not comply with the stipulated requirements for Calcium Carbonate content. Furthermore, the mineral identification analysis revealed that the sample primarily consisted of Feldspar.
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“This is despite the fact that Feldspar is not a recommended major constituent of cement and as such, its use as a major constituent was problematic and unsafe,” the director-general stated.
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Reducing clinker imports
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According to Prof. Dodoo, there are plans to build factories that will use local resources to produce a clinker substitute, which will help lower the amount of clinker imported into the nation. Clinker is a crucial component in the production of Portland cement.
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“We have published a few papers on how we can use local substitutes to replace a significant proportion, probably 50 per cent of the clinker we use. I am happy to note that two giants are actually establishing a factory to produce this,” Prof Dodoo said.
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Globally, cement production accounts for about 7.5 per cent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
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Using calcined clay to minimise the need for traditional, carbon-intensive clinker, therefore, would be a major advancement towards eliminating the negative environmental footprint from cement production, Prof. Dodoo explained.
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Industry in line
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The chief executive officer (CEO) of the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers, Ghana (COCMAG), Rev. Dr George Dawson-Ahmoah, when reached, said COCMAG was collaborating with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to develop optimal environment, safety and cement quality standards and to combat unfair trade practices whenever they arose.
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That would ensure the growth of the country’s cement industry, Rev. Dr Dawson-Ahmoah said.
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The cement industry has companies such as Ghacem, Diamond Cement, Dangote Cement, CIMAF, Savannah Cement, Dzata Cement and CBI Ghana.
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