Plant Sites


Hattar

In 1994, work started on the cement plant in the under developed area of Hattar, Haripur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This was an initial investment of US$120 million. The contract for the supply of main plant was signed with Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan in June 1995. The suppliers sub contracted some of the equipment to other international manufacturers, namely the crushers to FAM of Germany, Cement mill to Fuller of USA and electrical and instrumentation to ABB of Switzerland and Siemens of Germany. Civil works started in January 1996 and the Kiln was fired in April 1998, which is a record.

Plant Conversion to Gas

Prior to 2001 production at Bestway Cement was being carried out using furnace oil as fuel. The management’s proactive decision in anticipation of a further hike in oil prices lead to modification of its plant to operate on natural gas. These were the first steps in achieving a cost-efficient production process and ultimately the production process was converted to coal with a further investment of approximately US$10 million.

Plant Conversion to Coal

The machinery for coal conversion was procured from IPPR Engineering of China while some of the fabrication and erection work was done locally. The whole project was supervised by a highly skillful team of Chinese engineers alongside the Company’s own engineers. The entire project from signing the agreement to commissioning was completed within a record period of 10 months. The Company also set up its own coal testing and analysis laboratory, which is equipped with the most up-to-date equipment to ensure that only quality coal is used in the process to prevent undesired operational and environmental effects. Conversion to natural gas and then to coal significantly reduced the energy cost component, which at times constituted about 65% of the total production cost.

Capacity Enhancement

Bestway’s proactive management has kept the Company one step ahead of its competitors. The timely and strategic decisions of the management have enabled the Company to maintain its current market share of around 8% and its position as the lead exporter.

Hattar plant’s initial capacity was 1.0 million tonnes per annum. In 2002, at a cost of US$20 million, plant capacity was enhanced to 1.15 million tonnes per annum to meet the ever-increasing demand for quality cement. Owing to the management’s insight on growing market demand and the potential to export, in 2004 the plant’s capacity was further upgraded to 1.25 million tonnes of clinker production.

Plant Sites

Bestway Cement Limited, Hattar

Key Facts & Figures

  • Green Field Plant
  • Production Start: April 1998
  • Capacity: 1.27 m TPY
  • Design & Supply: Mitsubishi Japan
  • Major Mechanical Equipment: Japanese/European Origin
  • Electrical Equipment: Siemens Germany/Pakistan Origin
  • Electrical Control Equipment: Siemens Germany
  • Instrumentation: European Origin
  • lab Equipment: Japan/European Origin

Farooqia

In 2005, Bestway decided to bid for 85.29% of equity of Mustehkam Cement Limited (now known-as Bestway Cement Limited Farooqia) a 0.6 million tonnes per annum capacity plant, following an offering by the Privatisation Commission, Government of Pakistan. The company’s bid of approximately US$70.0 million was accepted in September 2005. BCL Farooqia is in close vicinity of our existing operations in Hattar, District Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Though the production of the enterprise had been discontinued in 1999, however due to the hard work and dedication of our local staff and management, Mustehkam started production in December 2005 – one month after acquisition.

Capacity Enhancement and Modernisation

Bestway Cement Farooqia has a glorious past with the company winning best performance awards from the local stock exchanges. Through increased investments in capacity, plant upgradation and mordernisation Bestway Cement Farooqia has now could regain its past glory.

In the initial phase, one of the process lines was upgraded to a capacity of 0.9 million tonnes per annum at an estimated cost of US$50.0 million. This enhancement was carried out mainly with the assistance of FL Smidth and took the total production capacity at Bestway Cement Limited Farooqia to above 1.12 million tonnes per annum of clinker.

Key Facts & Figures

  • Plant Aquired: November 2005
  • Plant Upgraded: Year 2009
  • Capacity: 1.12 m TPY
  • Design & Supply: KHD Germany/Upgrade by FLS Denmark
  • Major Mechanical Equipment: European Origin
  • Electrical Equipment: European/Pakistan Origin
  • Electrical Control Equipment: Supcon China
  • Instrumentation: European Origin
  • lab Equipment: Japan/European Origin
Plant Sites

Bestway Cement Limited, Farooqia

Chakwal

In February 2004 owing to the growth in market demand, Bestway Group took the strategic decision of expanding its operations through the setting up of a 1.8 million tonnes per annum cement plant near Village Tatral of District Chakwal, Punjab Province, Pakistan. This is the Group’s second Greenfield development project at a cost of US$ 140 million.

The Company started its land acquisition in June 2004 and civil constructions in January 2005. The plant specifications were compiled by Bestway’s own engineers selecting the best equipment available. The raw-mill and coal-mill was supplied by Loesche, fans by Venti, gear boxes by Flender, Switch Gear by ABB, Bucket Elevators by Aumund, Motors, Motor Control Systems and Automation by Siemens of Germany.

In April 2005, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shaukat Aziz performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the plant. Civil works for Bestway Chakwal were initiated in January 2005, the Kiln was fired in May 2006 and the plant went into production in June 2006 which is an industry record. During the planning and construction phase the company took all the necessary steps to guarantee that the plant and machinery not only met the local and international environmental standards but also exceeded them.

Bestway Cement Chakwal led to the direct and indirect creation of jobs for more than 2,000 jobs - injecting a new lease of life in one of the most economically dispossessed parts of Pakistan. In May 2006 the Group announced plans for the establishment of a second 1.8 million tonnes per annum capacity plant adjacent to the existing operations in Chakwal at a cost of US$180.0 million, an identical plant to the existing Line-1, having 1.8 million tonnes capacity, summing up to the total annual manufacturing capacity of 3.6 million tonnes of Bestway Cement Limited Chakwal.

By the end of the first quarter of 2008, through these investments, the Group’s cement manufacturing capacity exceeded 6.0 million tonnes per annum.

Key Facts & Figures

  • Green Field Plant
  • Production Line I: May 2006
  • Production Line II: June 2008
  • Capacity: 3.6 m TPY
  • Design & Supply: CBMC China. Hybrid Edquipment Supplied from Europe/China
  • Major Mechanical Equipment: European Origin
  • Electrical Equipment: Siemens Germany/Pakistan Origin
  • Electrical Control Equipment: Siemens Germany
  • Instrumentation: European Origin
  • lab Equipment: European Origin

Bestway Cement Limited, Chakwal

Kallar Kahar

In 2015, Lafarge Pakistan Cement was acquired by Bestway Group and named Bestway Cement Limited Kallar Kahar, making it the largest cement producer in Pakistan. Soon after the merger, the company pro-actively invested in the plant to make it one of the most effective and efficient cement plants across Pakistan.

Bestway Cement Limited Kallar Kahar is the state-of-the-art plant from FLS Smidth Demark. The plant was acquired from Chakwal Group in the year 2005 by Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) an Egyptian Cement Group who renamed it as Pakistan Cement Company and completed the commissioning of the plant. The plant commenced its Commercial Operations in December 2006 under the brand name PAKCEM with an annual cement production capacity of 2.5 million tonnes per annum.

The plant is located at Kallar Kahar, District Chakwal in the province of Punjab, an area rich in lime stone reserves. The quality of lime stone in this area is the best in the region. The advanced plant laboratory is the most sophisticated in the industry and ensures consistent high quality of cement. Bestway Cement Kallar Kahar has therefore been producing one of the best quality cement across Pakistan.

Later in the year 2008 Lafarge S.A of France, one of the biggest Cement Producers of the World, acquired Pakistan Cement Company from Orascom and the company was re-named as Lafarge Pakistan Cement.

Key Facts & Figures

  • Plant Aquired: April 2015
  • Capacity: 2.5 m TPY
  • Design & Supply: FLS Denmark
  • Major Mechanical Equipment: European Origin
  • Electrical Equipment: ABB Sweden
  • Electrical Control Equipment: modicon France
  • Instrumentation: European Origin
  • lab Equipment: European Origin

Bestway Cement Limited, Kallar Kahar