By James Mwale

Chilima (front centre) ministers of Mining (Dr. Mbawala – 2nd left), Trade (Mark Katsonga – 1st left), and Transport (Jacob Hara – far right

Lilongwe, March 15, Mana: Government has launched LC3 Project, an innovation through which a new type of cement will be produced from locally available materials using the blend of clinker, limestone and calcined clay.

The project is expected to cut down on importation of cement production materials.

The LC3 Project is a migration from the currently used cement manufacturing technology which used much of imported and scarce high-quality limestone.

Vice-President, Saulos Chilima who graced the occasion at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe on Tuesday, said the project was a timely intervention in government’s quest to support the creation of enterprises and local jobs in the construction sector through reduced cement costs as well as creation of at least 1000 jobs.

“These partnerships are not only commendable, but also progressive because they provide us with cement and building solutions.

“These projects will reduce the negative environmental impact and instead, allow us to substitute resources scarce to Malawi with other raw materials that are in abundant supply and readily available in the country,” he said.

The environmentally friendly project also resonates with Malawi’s aspirations to promote green growth in the face of the worsening climate growth through the reduction in carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

LC3 Project is a Public-Private Partnership which has engaged renowned cement-producing companies like Lafarge Cement Malawi Limited and Terrastone Limited.

“In the case of partnership with Larfarge, the cement production technology used will be replaced with the Limestone Calcined Clay Cement technology.

“This will mean reducing Lafarge’s carbon emissions by 10, 000 tons annually,” explained Chilima.

The newly launched project will be funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented through GIZ in association with TARA.

In his remarks, Deputy Head of Development Cooperation in the Germany Embassy to Malawi, Knut Gummert, pledged his government’s support for the successful implantation of the project.

He said the project could make Malawi a world leader in the environmentally friendly cement production.

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