CIMAF Invests Over $45 Million in Gabon Cement Expansion Ahead of 2027 Clinker Ban
Updated
Updated · Business Insider Africa · May 24
CIMAF Invests Over $45 Million in Gabon Cement Expansion Ahead of 2027 Clinker Ban
2 articles · Updated · Business Insider Africa · May 24
More than $45 million will fund a third cement line at CIMAF’s Owendo plant and expanded clinker production, lifting Gabon capacity to about 1.85 million tonnes a year.
The buildout is timed for Gabon’s January 2027 ban on clinker imports, a policy meant to force local manufacturing and deepen industrial self-sufficiency after the 2023 military takeover.
Producing clinker domestically would cut CIMAF’s exposure to shipping disruptions and volatile global input prices while leaving output far above Gabon’s roughly 900,000-tonne annual demand.
That surplus positions Gabon as a potential Central African export hub as CIMAF shifts capital toward faster-growing African markets after exiting its only cement plant in France earlier this month.
Can Gabon's planned cement surplus transform it into a regional export hub, or will it flood a fragile market?
Is a billionaire's huge cement investment in post-coup Gabon a savvy business move or a risky political gamble?
Gabon's 2027 Clinker Import Ban: CIMAF's $46 Million Expansion and the Transformation of the National Cement Industry
Overview
Gabon will implement a clinker import ban starting January 1, 2027, aiming to reduce its reliance on foreign imports and strengthen its domestic manufacturing sector. In response, CIMAF has announced a US$46 million investment to expand its cement production in Gabon, including adding a third production line and enlarging its clinker plant at the Owendo facility. This expansion will significantly boost local cement output, positioning Gabon to meet domestic demand and support its industrial self-sufficiency goals. The move highlights a strategic shift towards local production and economic resilience.