Ivory Coast: Dolomite in local cement

In Côte d'Ivoire, the government wants to integrate a new ore in the manufacture of cement which would reduce its cost.

© Lucien KAHOZI / AFP

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In Côte d'Ivoire, the authorities have just modified cement manufacturing standards to include dolomite, a resource that would reduce the cost of cement manufacturing.

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With our correspondent in Abidjan,

The inflation of imported products, linked to the Covid-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine, has had a virtue: to encourage people to think about how to better exploit local resources, such as cement, in Côte d' Ivory.

From now on, the cement manufacturing standard will incorporate a new mineral: dolomite.

It is a crystalline mineral, occurring in the form of white marble.

It is a question of gradually replacing the use of limestone in the composition of cement which is made by raising the temperature (up to 1,450°) of a finely ground mixture of limestone, clay and

.

Indeed, " 

 ", notes Amadou Coulibaly, government spokesman, hence the idea of ​​finding a more accessible substitute.

Dolomite, available in Ghana and Togo, would thus allow " 

 ", continues this manager.

The reflection is therefore officially launched with, in particular, research permits which have been granted.

At this stage, Côte d'Ivoire does not have a "proven" deposit of dolomite, but the scientists rely on " 

 " of sites where this ore could well be present, namely the south of the country, towards Adiaké and Sassandra.

“ 

says a specialist from the Ministry of Mines who sees it as an opportunity to develop local cement.

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