The cement industry in Pakistan has developed at several key locations due to the availability of raw materials and markets, as well as cheap energy and labor. Major production sites are located near limestone quarries in Hazara, Thatta, Kohat, and Dera Ghazi Khan districts. Pakistan's cement industry benefits from domestic demand and a favorable export market. It produces high quality cement and has achieved a ranking of 48th globally in cement exports.
4. Location & Factors
Location:There are 29 cement industries producing 1.8 million
tonnes of cement. The plants are located in Hazara, Cherat, Jhelum,
Thatta, Kohat and Dera Ghazi Khan districts, and at Daudkhel, Rohri,
Hyderabad, and Karachi.
Factors affecting cement industryâs location
There are many favorable factors for the development of cement
industries locally:
âą Availability of raw materials(limestone and gypsum)
âą Good domestic market with high demand from the construction
industry
âą Natural gas and coal are used as a cheap fuel âeasily available
âą Labor available at lower wages
âą Favorable government policies
5. Importance
âą Rank of Pakistan in Cement Export:
âą Pakistan has already joined the world club of
cement exporters, with 48th ranking among a
totalof 116 exporting countries, having
attained recently an export figure of USD
33.24 million.Some of the big players from
Pakistan who can possibly play a major role in
the export of cement to India are Lucky
Cement, the largest cement producer in the
country, DG Khan CementCo, Maple Leaf
Cement, Attock Cement, among others.
6. High Quality of Cement:
Pakistan produces good quality of
cement. This is the main reason due
to which recently Russia is offering
high price for Pakistani cement.
Globally Pakistan is recognized for
producing good quality of cement
due to which countries like
Afghanistan, India, Middle east and
some African countries prefer to
import cement from Pakistan.
7. The main raw materials used in the cement
manufacturing process are limestone, sand ,shale,
clay and iron ore. The main material, limestone, is
usually mined on site while the other minor
materials may be mined either on site or in
nearby quarries. Another source of raw materials
is industrial by-products. The use of by-product
materials to replace natural raw materials
is a key element in achieving sustainable
Development.
8. Cement Manufacturing Process
The raw materials needed to produce cement (calcium carbonate,
silica, alumina, and iron ore) are generally extracted from limestone
rock, chalk, shale, or clay. These raw materials are won from the quarry
by either extraction or blasting.
These naturally occurring minerals are then crushed through a milling
process. At this stage, additional minerals are added to ensure the
correct chemical composition for making cement. These minerals can
be obtained from the waste or by-products of other industries, such as
paper ash. Milling produces a fine powder, known as raw meal, which
is preheated and then sent to the kiln for further processing.
The kiln is at the heart of the manufacturing process. Once inside the
kiln, the raw meal is heated to around 1,500 degrees C - a
similar temperature to that of molten lava. At this temperature,
chemical reactions take place to form cement clinker, which contains
hydraulic calcium silicates.
9. In order to heat the materials to this very high temperature, a 2,000-degree
C flame is required, which can be produced through the use of fossil and
waste-derived fuels. The kiln itself is angled by 3 degrees to the horizontal to
allow the material to pass through it, over a period of 20 to 30 minutes.
Upon exiting the kiln, the clinker is cooled and stored, ready for grinding, to
produce cement.
A small amount of gypsum (3 percent to 5 percent) is added to the clinker to
regulate how the cement will set. The mixture is then very finely ground to
obtain "pure cement." During this phase, different mineral materials, called
"additions," may be added alongside the gypsum. Used in varying
proportions, these additions, which are of natural or industrial origin, give
the cement specific properties, such as reduced permeability, greater
resistance to sulfates and aggressive environments, improved workability, or
higher-quality finishes.
Finally, the cement is stored in silos before being shipped in bulk or in bags
to the sites where it will be used.
16. âą Production of cement is a continuous process. Raw materials
are dried, ground, proportioned and homogenized before
being burnt in rotary kilns. The resulting Product 'clinker' is
pulverised with
gypsum at the
grinding stage to
obtain cement.
17. The finished cement is then pumped into cement silos
from where it goes to packing plant for bag and bulk
loading. Bulk cement is loaded into special tank trucks for
delivery to customers' portable silos at construction sites
or is trucked to Indocement's port facilities.
Through road tankers
and rail wagons.
19. Problems faced by the industry
1.Increased freight charges( Railways)
2.Logistic problems(Poor transportation system)
3.Usage of Paper bag instead of plastic
bags for export
4.Idle capacity of various players
5. Indian and Iran industry is also
expanding its cement capacity
6. High energy prices
7. Decrease profitability due to
competition in cement industry locally
8. High level of taxation
20. âą Emission Of Harmful Gases In Air
âą Noise Pollution
âą Soil Pollution
Problems faced by the Environment
21. Solutions:
1.Use of alternative fuels and by-products materials
2.Green cement
Green cement is a cementitious material that meets or exceeds the
functional performance capabilities of ordinary Portland cement by
incorporating and optimizing recycled materials, thereby reducing
consumption of natural raw materials, water, and energy, resulting in
a more sustainable construction material.
New manufacturing processes for producing green cement are being
researched with the goal to reduce, or even eliminate, the production
and release of damaging pollutants and greenhouse gasses,
particularly CO2.
Growing environmental concerns and increasing cost of fuels of fossil
origin have resulted in many countries in sharp reduction of the
resources needed to produce cement and effluents (dust and exhaust
gases)
22. NOV 2003/Paper 2/Q:3 ::
Clay or shale
process B
rotary kiln
process A
process C
Calcium
Sulphate
(gypsum)
cement
powdered
coal
X
Q3: (a)
[i] Name the Inputs shown? [2]
[ii] Name the important input X and state a
major source of that raw material. [2]
[iii] Give the letter and the name of 2 of the
processes A , B , C. [2]
23. [iv] Why is cement so important for the
development of Pakistan? [5]
NOV 2005/Paper 2/Q:4(c)[i][ii]
Q: [i] Name main locations in Pakistan
for the Cement Industry?
[4]
[ii] State TWO inputs and TWO Outputs
of The Cement Industry? [4]