National Cement Share Company (NCSC) was established in November 2005 in the Dire Dawa Administrative Region, located about 505 km from Addis Ababa. Initially, it was a joint venture between East African Mining Corporation PLC (EAMC) and the Privatization and Public Enterprises Supervising Agency of the Ethiopian Government. In 2010, East African Mining Corporation acquired the Government's share, making National Cement Share Company a wholly-owned private enterprise.
The company is one of the largest cement manufacturers in Ethiopia, with a production capacity of 3,000 tons of clinker per day or 1.3 million tons of cement per year. The company produces and supplies two types of cement products, namely OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement) and PPC (Pozzolanic Portland Cement), both for domestic and export markets. Additionally, the company supplies clinker, a semi-processed cement product used as input for its grinding plant.
National Cement Share Company is currently part of a joint venture formed between East African Holding and West International Holding Limited (WIH), a multi-billion listed Chinese industrial enterprise, for the development of several projects. These projects include Lemi Cement and Industrial Park, Melka Jebdu Cement Factory and Red Fox International. Once these cement projects are completed in 2024, the joint venture will be able to meet 50% of Ethiopia's current cement demand.
National Cement Share Company and West International Holding have entered into a US $2.2 billion investment agreement, which will be carried out in different phases. The first phase, valued at US $600 million, includes the construction of six projects on a 270 hectare land in Lemi Industrial Park, located 130 km north of Addis Ababa in the Amhara region. These projects encompass the expansion of the Dire Dawa plant, a batching plant, an aggregate production plant, an expansion of cement production capacity, a gypsum plant and a concrete pole and prefabricated housing plant. Additionally, a steel products plant in Dire Dawa and a gypsum board and powder plant are also in progress.
The completion of these projects will have a significant impact, such as reducing the gap between cement supply and demand, achieving self-sufficiency for foreign currency requirements through exports, and contributing to the overall development of Ethiopia's industrial sector.
