DOHA: The Qatar Primary Materials Company (QPMC) is set to enhance its delivery capacity in line with the country’s growing demand for primary construction materials. Eisa Al Hammadi, CEO of QPMC, said the company’s capacity would be increased
to 32 million tonnes per year from 2016.
QPMC is currently working on its conveyor belt project. Once this work is over, the company’s total capacity will go up to 32 million tonnes per annum from the existing 22 million tonnes, Al Sharq reported.
Al Hammadi said the company is receiving imported primary construction materials in Mesaied, Lusail and Ras Laffan. Ras Laffan’s receiving capacity is expected to increase to 7.5 million tonnes per annum by March 2015.
Hammadi stressed that the efforts are focused on sourcing huge amount of construction materials the country needed to meet its huge infrastructure development, in the run up to the World Cup in 2022. The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and Qatar Rail are involved in a series of mega projects.
Currently, the company’s major sourcing ports are Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE and the ports in Oman. QPMC is working on to add more countries to its ‘supplier list’. To further expand QPMC’s receiving capacity, Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM) is involved in the construction of a floating jetty. The work is scheduled for completion early next year.
With Qatar entering into the execution phase of major Fifa-related projects, key stakeholders are gearing up themselves to ensure the smooth supply of primary construction materials.
Qatar Fuel (Woqod) recently announced a QR65m investment in its bitumen storage and distribution in Mesaieed. Woqod said the plan is to upgrade its bitumen storage, manufacturing and distribution facility located at Mesaieed Industrial City.
Al Ijara Equipment, a subsidiary of Al Ijara Holding announced it signed a contract with Qatar Quarries and Building Material Company (QQBMCO) to transfer 2 million tonnes of gabbro from the Mesaieed port to the site of the Ijara.
According to the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS), Qatar’s construction sector will see a record demand of primary building materials in the coming few years. In the run up to the 2022 World Cup event, the highest projected demand would be limestone, gabbro and spoil removal and disposal (SR&D). The demand for these materials would reach a record peak during 2015-2016.
The MDPS survey shows limestone as the category of material with the highest demand followed by gabbro. The demand for limestone is projected to go up by 127 percent in 2015.
The demand for cement is expected to increase 108 percent next year and washed sand’s demand will increase by106 percent in 2015.The Peninsula
