Cahya Mata opens Sabah and Sarawak’s first integrated cement plant

DATUK RICHARD CURTIS.GROUP MD OF UCP

KUCHING: Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd (CMSB), an investment holding company, on Tuesday opened its RM190mil integrated cement plant in Jalan Mambong, off Borneo Heights Road, here. 

The new plant, CMSB’s third and largest cement grinding plant, is the first integrated cement plant in Sabah and Sarawak, and adjoins the group’s clinker plant.

CMSB group managing director Datuk Richard Curtis said the one million-tonne grinding plant incorporated state-of-the-art European technology comprising a ball mill (with a rated capacity of 150 tonnes/hour), a high efficiency separator, two units of 10,000 tonnes concrete silos, four-line bulk loaders and a 3,000 bag per hour packing and palletising machine.

“This third plant will increase CMSB’s total annual rated cement production capacity by almost 60% to 2.75 million tonnes, well above the current local demand of around 1.7 million-1.8 million tonnes.

“This will enable CMSB to meet the growing cement demand in Sarawak including from major projects such as Baleh Dam and Pan Borneo Highway and to have significant reserve production capacity to reduce the risk of supply disruptions in the state,” he said in his speech at the launch.

Curtis said CMSB’s investment in its cement division in the last 10 years had exceeded RM600mil which involved acquiring the clinker plant, setting up storage terminals in Miri and Sibu, general plant upgrades, three cement carrying barges and the new plant.

Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, who is also Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, Trade and Investment, attended the launch on behalf of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem. 

At the launch, CMS Clinker Sdn Bhd also signed a memorandum of understanding with ZHA Environment Sdn Bhd to facilitate negotiations for the use of shredded rubber tyres as an alternate fuel in the production of clinker.

Meanwhile, CMSB group executive director Datuk Syed Ahmad Alwee Alsree presented cheques worth RM20,000 as financial aid to four schools, namely Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) St. Francis Xavier, Seratau; SK St Augustine, Mambong; SK Sitang Petag and SJK Chung Hua Batu 15. - Bernama