Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of the Nakhchivan cement plant

As part of a visit to the autonomous republic, President Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the Nakhchivan cement plant.

The plant team warmly welcomed the head of state.

First the President of Azerbaijan reviewed a stand describing the layout of the plant, the process, raw materials and finished products.

It was noted that due to the wide scope of construction and reconstruction operations in recent years, the demand for building materials in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic is growing. So the need for a cement plant emerged. Prior to the construction, specialists conducted a geological survey in the resource-rich autonomous republic to identify the availability of raw materials for cement production. After discovering relevant deposits and studying the composition of raw materials in Kangarli District, a cement plan was built on an area of 150.6 hectares. As a result, one of the biggest investment projects of the last 20 years has been implemented in the autonomous republic.

President Ilham Aliyev launched the enterprise.

Then the head of state toured the premises in a bus.

It was noted that the company has production units, warehouses for raw materials and finished products, an office building and catering facilities. Comprehensive landscaping measures have been taken too. The local cafeteria looks modern and fully equipped. To ensure a reliable power supply to the enterprise, a 110-35-10-kilovolt substation has been built. A 2-km paved road has been built from the Nakhchivan-Sadarak highway to the plant. The Nakhchivan cement plant is a great contribution to the strengthening of Azerbaijan’s industrial potential.

It was indicated that the plant meets the latest standards. The products of “Nakhchivan Cement LLC” will fully meet the domestic demand and be exported to foreign markets. In the near future the plant will occupy a significant place in the cement market of the region.

It was mentioned that the area around the plant had been landscaped and over 18,000 trees planted on an area of 12 hectares. Attention has also been paid to reducing the environmental impact, as appropriate equipment meeting modern standards has been installed.

The President was informed in detail about the production process. It was noted that the enterprise, consisting of 18 main industrial sites, operates state-of-the-art equipment. When it reaches full capacity, it will provide jobs to 210 people working in three shifts. The plant’s daily capacity is 800 tons of cement. Most of the factory workers are young people of the autonomous republic. Comprehensive measures are taken to improve their professional skills.

The plant uses the conveyor method and strictly follows technological process. The cement is produced by a dry process. This latest technology is applied in a handful of plants of the region.

The local cement is far superior in quality to imported products. The production of dry cement also minimizes fuel consumption. All kinds of raw materials and mixtures used at the plant, including limestone, ferruginous clay, quartz and gypsum, are quarried in the mines of Kangarli, Sharur and Babak Districts of the autonomous republic. The incoming raw materials undergo different phases, are ground and burned together with mixtures at a temperature of 1400-1600 degrees. At a later stage the finished products are ground, packed in 50-kg bags and put on sale.

President Ilham Aliyev was informed that although the plant became operational only recently, its products have been awarded the CE quality mark meeting European requirements. In making an assessment, international experts take into account the modern equipment and quality control instrumentation, attention to health, safety and environmental issues.

Control over the physical and chemical qualities of the incoming raw materials, impurities, clinker and cement is exercised at a fully equipped laboratory. Also, every hour the products are sampled for chemical, physical and mechanical analyses.

The results of such analyses are stored in the archives and made available to consumers. The plant’s products, noted for high quality, are already sold in Baku, other Azerbaijani districts and in Georgia. There are plans to produce new types of products and to obtain domestic and international quality certificates.

It was noted that the human factor and quality are the main criteria at the enterprise. Particular attention is paid to health, safety and fire safety.

After reviewing the Nakhchivan cement plant, President Ilham Aliyev wished its steam every success.