In Côte d’Ivoire, the authorities have just modified cement manufacturing standards to include dolomite, a resource that would reduce the cost of cement manufacturing.
With our correspondent in Abidjan, Bineta Diagne
The inflation of imported products, linked to the Covid-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine, has had a virtue: to encourage people to think about how to better exploit local resources, such as cement, in Côte d’ Ivory.
From now on, the cement manufacturing standard will incorporate a new mineral: dolomite. It is a crystalline mineral, occurring in the form of white marble.
This involves gradually replacing the use of limestone in the composition of cement which is made by raising the temperature (up to 1,450°) to a finely ground mixture of limestone, clay and sand. In effect, ” the price of limestone, imported from Asia and Europe, has become very expensive “, notes Amadou Coulibaly, spokesperson for the government, hence the idea of finding him a more accessible substitute. Dolomite, available in Ghana and Togo, would thus allow “ a drop of 5 to 10 % of cement price “, continues this official.
The reflection is therefore officially launched with, in particular, research permits which have been granted.
At this stage, Côte d’Ivoire does not have a “proven” deposit of dolomite, but scientists are relying on ” directions » of sites where this ore could well be present, namely the south of the country, towards Adiaké and Sassandra.
” You have to go to the field, take samples and drill to confirm this track »says a specialist from the Ministry of Mines who sees an opportunity to develop local cement.
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