a Rwandan cement producer, plans to invest about $190 million in a new clinker plant in Musanze. The initiative aims to significantly reduce the reliance on imported clinker and is expected to save the country about $2.88 billion in foreign exchange expenditure over the next 25 years. Mangesh Kumar Verma, chief executive of the company, recently announced the investment plan.
The newly built clinker plant is expected to be operational within two years, with a designed annual capacity of 720,000 tons of clinker, or about 60,000 tons per month. The capacity will not only fully meet the company's local demand of about 540,000 tons per year, but also generate surplus for export, thus transforming Rwanda from a net importer of clinker to a net exporter. Verma also revealed that if the local limestone reserves exceed expectations, the project has reserved space for the construction of a second production line.
This significant investment is due to the continued cost pressure from imported clinker. Currently, Cimerwa imports about 360,000 tons of clinker per year at a cost of between $3.7 million and $4 million per month. According to Verma, clinker accounts for about 70% of the cost of cement production, and if we rely on imports, the proportion will be as high as 95%, which seriously affects the company's profit margin. The new clinker plant will effectively stabilize the production cost. Prior
to the announcement, Cimerwa released its unaudited financial report for the nine months ended June 30, 2025. The report shows that the company's revenue increased by 50% year-on-year to $750 million, mainly due to its acquisition of Prime Cement in July 2024. However, pre-tax profit fell 23% to $77m in the same period, as raw material costs rose and the Rwandan franc continued to depreciate. Despite the near-term challenges, the company demonstrated its financial strength by declaring an interim dividend to be paid on October 18, 2025.
The new clinker plant is strategically important to secure Rwanda's local supply chain and support the country's large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the new international airport being built in Bugesera. Cimerwa said that the company is continuing to push forward major expansion projects and constantly optimize its market strategy to seize high-potential market opportunities. Based on these strategic initiatives and solid foundations, the Company is confident of achieving stronger operational performance and improved financial results in the coming years.
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