By Silvia Nyambura
With increased competition expected in the regional cement industry, influx of counterfeit products and a rise in import cement, Hima Cement a subsidiary of the Lafarge Group has announced its plan to stay competitive in 2014 in line with the mother company’s Sustainability Ambitions 2020. The plan involves achieving targets in the areas of operations costs management, environment preservation, job creation, factory safety and community development.
The company General Manager Daniel Petterson while unveiling the plan at a media breakfast held on the 25th of March 2014 said global market demands are changing and the firm has a responsibility to set the pace for its sector and the entire construction value chain.
The plan has been localized to include increase of the use of natural clean fuels in its operations in a bid to cut fossil fuel use by more than half. “Our operations aim to optimize the use of natural resources and protect the environment. Currently Hima Cement is leading within the entire Lafarge Group worldwide on the use of biomass with 53 percent of kiln fuel coming from biomass like coffee husks, rice husks, palm kernels, groundnut husks and baggase,