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…as Mahama unveils world’s largest calcined clay cement plant
The nation is on course to reduce its heavy dependence on imported cement inputs after the opening of a US$110million limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) facility that could cut hundreds of thousands of tonnes from the country’s annual clinker import bill.
The plant, developed by CBI Ghana Ltd. at the Tema Free Zones Enclave, was officially opened by President John Dramani Mahama. The facility has capacity to produce 400,000 tonnes of calcined clay annually, enabling cement producers to substitute a significant portion of imported clinker; the most carbon-intensive and costly component of cement manufacturing.
President Mahama receiving a tour of the new plant
Ghana is currently Africa’s largest importer of clinker, with industry estimates suggesting the country spends close to US$500million annually importing the intermediate product used in cement production. Much of that supply arrives from Asia and the Middle East, exposing local manufacturers to exchange rate volatility, freight costs and global commodity price fluctuations.
The new plant is expected to replace about 400,000 tonnes of clinker imports each year, equivalent to roughly ten cargo vessels annually, according to company estimates. If realised, that could reduce the domestic clinker import bill by tens of millions of US dollars annually while lowering foreign exchange demand from the construction sector.
H.E. John Dramani Mahama, delivering a speech at the unveiling of the calcined clay plant in Tema
Speaking at the ceremony, President Mahama said the investment represented a shift in Ghana’s industrial strategy toward greater domestic value addition. “What CBI Ghana has built here is a statement about Ghanaian potential. For decades, our industrial growth has faced a punishing import bill that grew on a culture of exporting raw materials and importing finished goods. Today, we are proving that responsible African industrialisation is possible,” he said.
President Mahama added that strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity would be critical to building a more resilient economy. “I see the engineers, the technicians and the laboratory staff here; Ghana’s industrial future will be built by your hands,” he further stated.
Ghana’s cement demand has expanded steadily over the past decade, driven by rapid urbanisation, rising housing demand and infrastructure spending. Industry analysts estimate domestic consumption at between 7 million and 9 million tonnes per year, while installed production capacity is estimated to exceed 10 million tonnes annually.
President Mahama receiving a tour of the new plant
Despite the relatively large market, most cement plants in Ghana operate primarily as grinding facilities, importing clinker before blending it with gypsum and other additives to produce finished cement. The structure has made the industry highly sensitive to currency depreciation and global shipping costs.
Between 2022 and 2024, the sharp depreciation of the cedi contributed to rising cement prices, with retail prices in major urban markets such as Accra and Kumasi reaching GH¢110 to GH¢135 per 50kg bag depending on brand and strength class.
The LC3 technology used at the new plant replaces a portion of clinker with calcined clay and limestone, both of which are locally available in Ghana. By reducing the share of imported clinker required for cement production, manufacturers can lower exposure to foreign exchange risk while increasing local value addition.
Frédéric Albrecht, Managing Director of CBI Ghana Ltd giving remarks
Frédéric Albrecht, Managing Director of CBI Ghana, said the investment was designed to address one of the key structural challenges facing Ghana’s cement industry. “Every year, Ghana spends close to half a billion US dollars importing clinker. That is hard currency that can stabilise our local currency. From this plant, the largest of its kind in the world, we are replacing imported clinker with locally produced calcined clay,” he explained.
Beyond its economic impact, the plant is also expected to reduce the carbon intensity of cement production. The company says the LC3 process can cut emissions by up to 40 percent compared with conventional Portland cement, reflecting the lower energy required to produce calcined clay relative to clinker. The cement industry is widely regarded as one of the most carbon-intensive industrial sectors globally, accounting for about 7 percent to 8 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.
The Tema facility also incorporates automated packing systems capable of filling 10 cement bags simultaneously and loading a 40-tonne truck within approximately 25 minutes, improving logistics efficiency for bulk distribution to construction sites and infrastructure projects.
CBI Ghana produces cement under the Supacem brand and supplies several segments of the construction market, including ready-mix concrete producers, infrastructure contractors and housing developers.
Industry observers say wider adoption of calcined clay technology could reshape the economics of cement production in Ghana by reducing the sector’s reliance on imported clinker, which has historically been one of the largest foreign exchange drains within the building materials industry. “As we look ahead. We did not build this plant for CBI alone. We built it to inspire the cement world and ensure Ghanaian scientists lead the way in sustainable construction,” Mr. Albrecht added.