TANZANIA BEGINS FIRST PRODUCTION OF BITUMEN EMULSIONS

Acting Deputy Director for Rural and Urban Roads, Ministry of Works, Eng. Hassan Matimbe (centre), cuts the ribbon during the inauguration ceremony of the Bituminous Emulsion production plant in Dar es Salaam on Saturday. Left is the Managing Director of Starpeco Limited, a company which runs and owns the plant, Eng. Gratian Nshekanabo and the Company’s Chairman Mr. Prashant Patel (right).

Dar es Salaam. The first bituminous emulsion production has been commissioned in the country providing more opportunity for constructing tarmac roads at low cost.

The bituminous emulsion production plant owned by Starpeco Limited was inaugurated at the weekend in Dar es Salaam.

Bitumen emulsions generally belong to the oil-in-water type of emulsions where bitumen is dispersed in water with the aid of a small quantity of an emulsifying agent.

Bitumen emulsions are mainly used in road construction and maintenance. Starpeco Limited managing director, Eng Gratian Nshekanabo told journalists that the availability and effective use of emulsion products would change the landscape of Tanzanian construction industry.

“The cold mix technique will change the way we are doing things in the construction and maintenance of roads,” he said.

He said the company was proud that the plant has been constructed, erected and finished to the best standard and practices.

“Its formulated and produced products match with international and regional standards,” he says.

The plant can produce all types of bituminous emulsions with a capacity of 10,000 litres/hour.

The plant was manufactured in Ukraine but its main controlling components (contractors, sensors etc) are from Italy and/or France.

According to him, the plant will create direct employment to 25 people and more than 100 indirect jobs.

“This will also create demand for other industries (metal for drums), paint, transportation of plant inputs and outputs, laboratories, chemicals,” he says.

The acting deputy director, Rural and Urban Roads, in the Ministry of Works, Eng Hassan Matimbe, said the plant supports the country’s industrialisation efforts and will reduce the importation of emulsion products and save the nation’s foreign currency.