BUA taps Finland’s Wartsila to build 70MW power plant for Obu cement line
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BUA has signed an agreement with Finnish technology solutions company, Wartsila Oy, to construct a 70 megawatts dual-fuel power plant for its BUA Cement Obu Line 3 project in Edo State.
The gas power plant, according to BUA, will also be the third power plant to be commissioned from Wartsila as the cement manufacturing giant seeks to increase its total production capacity across all its locations to 17 million metric tonnes by 2023.
Speaking at the signing ceremony presided over by Nina Vaskunlahti, deputy minister for international trade for Finland in Abuja, Abdul Samad Rabiu, BUA chairman and founder, said the company was committed to utilising cleaner, more efficient energy sources for its cement operations rather than relying on coal or heavy fuels.
Rabiu further noted that the 70MW gas powered plant will ensure that the company remains very efficient in its energy utilisation in the cement production process.
According to him, the company has phased out the use of coal across its factories and is shifting to gas powered plants.
“As we ramp up our capacity, there is a need to complement it with efficient power supply and Wartsila’s technology has been found to be durable and uniquely aligned with our vision for more efficient power generation at all our production locations, ” he added.
The Obu Line 3 project is the third plant to be constructed by Wartsila for BUA Cement, following the construction of a 48 megawatt power plant for Sokoto Cement line 3 and a 70 megawatts dual-fuel power plant for the Sokoto Line 4 project, both in Sokoto State.