Sabah Cement, Ecooils ink agreement for ecologically-processed pozzolan
KOTA KINABALU: Cement Industries (Sabah) Sdn Bhd (Sabah Cement) has signed a sales and purchase agreement with Ecooils Sdn Bhd for a 10-year supply of ecologically-processed pozzolan for use in Sabah Cement’s products.
Sabah Cement chief executive officer, Bahrul Razha Chuprat, said the processed pozzolan material, an oil palm by-product, would enable the company to produce its blended cement product for infrastructural projects in Sabah.
“By producing the blended cement product, Sabah Cement can also realise the government’s aspiration to produce environmental-friendly products by recycling waste products,” he said at the signing ceremony yesterday.
Sabah Cement chairman, Datuk Samsuddin Yahya, and Ecooils’ director, Datuk John Maluda, signed the agreement.
Also present to witness the signing ceremony was Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, who is also State Industrial Development Minister.
Bahrul Razha said Sabah Cement would buy 10,000 metric tonnes of eco-processed pozzolan a year from Ecooils’ factory at the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster in Lahad Datu to be processed into its blended cement product at the company’s Bulk Cement Terminal in Lahad Datu.
He said Sabah Cement invested RM5 million in machines and equipment for cement-processing at the terminal, which was expected to be operational by year-end.
“As a state government-linked company, Sabah Cement will strive to fulfil customer requirements and satisfaction by producing various types of quality cement to meet the specific needs of the construction sector in Sabah,” he said.
Tan said infrastructure was an important driver for the growth of economy of any region and a vibrant construction industry was vital towards achieving the 11th Malaysia Plan and the Economic Transformation Programme.
He said the construction industry has become significantly crucial to the Malaysian economy and was expected to contribute 5.5 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product by 2020.
“Sabah has contributed 3.9 per cent to that percentage in 2016 and today, we are already seeing intense demand for infrastructure development in Sabah, such as the Pan Borneo Highway.
“This rise in demand will in turn require construction players and the workforce to continually raise its capabilities,” he said.
However, Tan said, it was also critical for the industry to maintain a healthy level of development to improve its efficiency and minimise negative impact on the environment as a whole. — Bernama
Source: Borneo Post
