Indian manufacturer Encon eyes Sudan, Middle East markets
By The Times of India
NEW DELHI, Oct. 26, 2003 — An Indian manufacturer of furnaces and fuel economy systems expects to commence a turnkey $1 million steel plant project in Sudan soon.
It is one of the important build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects in the kitty of Encon International Pvt Ltd that sees good opportunities in the Middle East and Africa.
Based in Faridabad, Haryana, the Rs.150-million-turnover Encon group has entered into a licensing agreement with Canada-based Westland Incinerator Co Ltd for the manufacture of incinerators for tackling industrial and urban waste without any adverse environmental impact.
“We plan to manufacture and supply custom-built incinerators both in the domestic and overseas markets in Africa and the Middle East as part of the licensing agreement,” RP Sood, managing director of the company, told IANS.
Several companies in India are already catering to the estimated $10 billion domestic market for incinerators.
But Encon states its new product would have an edge, with its environment-friendly features for treating all by-products, including gas emission, solid and liquid waste.
The ash generated would also have applicability for making bricks for landscaping and or mixing with tar for making roads. The possibility of power generation through waste is also being studied.
“The licensing agreement could be a stepping stone to bigger units and treatment of waste like grey matter and water,” said Sood.
With the $4 million agreement having been signed last week, training for technology transfer is expected to start next month and the production early next year.
The company is already in the process of firming up the first of many orders with firms like Yamaha Motors and auto parts manufacturer Denso Corporation. Talks are also on with several town municipalities and hospitals in the country.
“We will also be exporting the incinerators to markets in South Asia and the Middle East as part of the licensing agreement with Westland Incinerators,” said Sood.
Sood said the Sudan project is expected to take off soon, with finances having been arranged through an Indian commodities exporting company.
“We have signed the letter of intent for the project and hope it will take off by January. We will not only be setting up a steel plant but also operate it for three years, on the lines of a similar $15 million plant we are operating in Jordan with Indian manpower,” said Sood.
The Jordan steel plant, General Specialised Steel, has a production capacity of 40 tonnes per hour.
Encon has so far done several projects in United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Nepal and Bangladesh ranging from manufacturing furnaces for various uses like steel rolling mills, the aluminium industry to undertake turnkey projects for steel rolling mills and aluminium wire rod projects.
“We are keenly looking at more opportunities in developing countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, and Congo for supply of equipment and will also undertake turnkey projects. There is a huge potential and interest in these markets,” said Sood.