Fuel, power outages: northern Sudan cement production halved

15/07/2018 08:48 ATBARA

The continuing shortage of fuel and repeated power cuts have forced cement factories in Sudan’s River Nile state to reduce their production by more than half.
The Atbara Cement Factory has reduced its production from 120,000 tons per month to 60,000 tons, an employee told Radio Dabanga on Friday.
He said that the cement production in El Salam Factory dropped from 60,000 tons to 20,000 tons, El Takamol Factory from 80,000 tons to 32,000 tons, the North Factory from 120,000 tons to 50,000 tons, and the Berber Factory from 70,000 to 30,000 tons.

A cement plant in Atbara in northern Sudan (atbaracement.sd)

The continuing shortage of fuel and repeated power cuts have forced cement factories in Sudan’s River Nile state to reduce their production by more than half.

The Atbara Cement Plant has reduced its production from 120,000 tons per month to 60,000 tons, an employee told Radio Dabanga on Friday.

He said that the cement production in El Salam Factory dropped from 60,000 tons to 20,000 tons, El Takamol Factory from 80,000 tons to 32,000 tons, the North Factory from 120,000 tons to 50,000 tons, and the Berber Factory from 70,000 to 30,000 tons.

A government source commented that the decrease in production negatively affected the state revenues, and led to a rise in the price of cement about one month ago, from SDG 2,000 ($ 71*) to SDG 5,000 per ton.

The sources expect the factories may close their doors if the situation continues.

Last year various parts of Sudan witnessed a shortage of fuel for several periods of time. In early this year however, the fuel crisis grew and paralysed transport, farming, and industries in the entire country.

* Based on the indicative US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan