Company Profile: Thatta Cement Company Limited is a leading Pakistani cement manufacturer with a range of specialist products to its name, for use in various challenging environmental situations.
Thatta Cement Company Limited was originally incorporated in 1980 as a public limited company, and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the State Cement Corporation of Pakistan (Pvt) Limited. The manufacturing facility was commissioned in 1982, and the plant became fully operational subsequently. Thatta Cement remained under the government control until 2004. Subsequently the company was privatised and acquired by a consortium of Mr Arif Habib and Al-Abbas Group which took over management control. Considering the fact that the inherited plant had the disadvantage of low capacity, ageing equipment and low efficiencies, the new management set priorities for the upgradation of the plant. Steps were taken to improve performance and efficiency of the plant, which were initiated according to a phased plan, with the intention of production output being increased with each successive phase, improvement in efficiencies, improved product quality and performance. Special consideration was given to employ environmental friendly technologies during the design stage. The BMR has resulted in conversion of the conventional cement making process into state of the art pyro-process system which is highly efficient and environment friendly.
Acquisition of ISO 9001:2008 accreditation and Certification from the American Petroleum Institute for manufacture of Class G Oil Well Cement was done towards improved quality management and product diversification.
Continuing improvement
To avoid the many outages from the local power supply, previously experienced, a new captive power plant with a total capacity of over 23 MW was commissioned in December 2012.
The Company markets a wide range of cement products, including ordinary Portland cement (OPC), which accounts for some 50 per cent of the company's output. Thatta Cement has a low alkali content of below 0.4 per cent, making it suitable for use with aggregates containing silica, which would otherwise react with alkalis and weaken the resulting concrete. Thatta Cement also has low levels of tri-calcium aluminise, making the concrete resistant to spontaneous over-heating and sulphate attack.
A key aspect of TCCL's planning will be a strong focus on promoting the Class G oil-well cement and its highly prized low alkali cement. It is the only certified manufacturer of these types of cement in the country. The demand for Class G cement is anticipated to increase with the passage of time.
Being responsible
In addition to its quality management system and ISO 9001 certification, TCCL operates a health and safety scheme that is designed to ensure the highest standards of product quality while protecting workers, the surrounding population, as well as the environment. We have our own medical centre, which provides medical care for employees as well as families in the local community, as part of our firm commitment to CSR. The company also provides educational opportunities for its staff and the local community in the form of a large school that teaches up to secondary level. The Model Terbiat School is a non-profit organisation which offers scholarships to deserving applicants.
TCCL's strong commitment to CSR extends to its equally firm belief in sustainability. For example, apart from its captive power plant, it operates a system of containment, in which dust is bagged for recycling. More-efficient motors and insulation have also been installed, together with measures to minimise carbon emissions. Further improvements are being made part of all ongoing projects intended to achieve a substantial reduction of carbon dioxide emission.