Moroto Cement Limited (MCL), whose full name is Moroto Cement Industries Limited, is a manufacturer of

cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...

in Uganda with approximately 3000 tonnes per day clinker capacity.

Location

It was expected that when construction would be completed in 2013, the main factories of the company would be located in ''Lorukumoi Village'', in ''Rupa Sub-county'', in

Moroto District Moroto District is a district in the Northern Region of Uganda. The town of Moroto is the site of the district headquarters. Location Moroto District is bordered by Kaabong District to the north, Kenya to the east, Amudat District to the sout ...

Karamoja sub-region Karamoja sub-region, commonly known as Karamoja, is a region in Uganda. It covers an area of 27,528km and comprises Kotido District, Kaabong District, Karenga District, Nabilatuk District Abim District, Moroto District, Napak District, Amuda ...

, in Northeastern Uganda. This location lies near the town of Moroto, approximately , by road, northeast of

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

, the capital of

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

and the largest city in that country. This location lies approximately , by road, east of the city of

Gulu Gulu is a city in the Northern Region of Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The coordinates of the city of Gulu are 2°46'54.0"N 32°17'57.0"E. The distance from Gulu to Kampala, Uganda's capital and larg ...

, the largest urban center in

Northern Uganda The Northern Region is one of four regions in the country of Uganda. As of Uganda's 2014 census, the region's population was . Districts As of 2010, the Northern Region had 30 districts A district is a type of administrative division th ...

Overview

With an estimated production capacity of 1,000,000 metric tonnes annually, Moroto Cement Limited is expected to be one of the largest manufacturers of

, accounting for about 34 percent of annual national output. Tororo Cement Limited, accounts for another 34 percent.

Hima Cement Limited Hima Cement Limited (HCL) is a cement manufacturer in Uganda. It is a subsidiary of the Holcim Group, a building materials manufacturer headquartered in Switzerland, with subsidiaries in over 80 countries. Location The main factories of HCL ar ...

, which produces an estimated 850,000 metric tonnes annually, accounts for the remaining 32 percent. The bulk of MCL's output is expected to go towards the construction of

Karuma Power Station The Karuma Hydroelectric Power Station is a 600 MW hydroelectric power project under construction in Uganda. When completed, it will be the largest power-generating installation in the country. Location The power station is located on the ...

, the largest hydro-power station ever undertaken in Uganda's history. , production capacity at the factory in Moroto was estimated at 3,000 metric tonnes daily.

History

The company was established in 2012. It has carried out feasibility studies on

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

deposits in

, finding sufficient quantities to last 100 years at maximum production capacity. Construction of the main factory was expected to begin in late 2012 and last approximately one year. Commercial production of cement was expected to begin soon after the factory was commissioned. Start-up costs were estimated at UGX:1 trillion (about US$400 million at that time).

Cancellation of license

In March 2017, the

Uganda Radio Network The Uganda Radio Network (URN) is an independent Ugandan subscription-based news agency headquartered in Kampala. Location The headquarters of URN are located off Mawanda Road, in the Kamwookya neighborhood of Kampala, the capital and largest c ...

, a news agency, reported that the Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines in the Uganda Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development had cancelled the mining license of ''Moroto Cement Industries Limited'', the owner/developers of this project. The reason for the cancellation was given as "failure to start development", four years after being awarded a licence.

References

External links