A steel-making firm in Kilifi County plans to invest more than Sh426 million in a product diversification plant.
Corrugated Sheets Ltd has submitted a proposal to the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) seeking approval for the construction of a steel scrap melting and casting plant.
The project, if approved, will be within the company’s site which hosts a steel manufacturing plant at the Kokotoni area of Kilifi County.
“The bills of quantities prepared for the proposed project indicated that the estimated cost of the project will be KSh426,731,088.36. The proposed project is a steel mill for the melting of steel scrap to generate molten metal that is continuously casted to produce billets,” a section of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report says.
According to the company, the billets produced from molten scrap metal will be used within the proposed project site to produce hot-rolled steel products.
Billets are normally used as raw material to make bars, poles, and other steel products with precise shapes.
The factory produces a variety of steel construction products, ranging from iron sheets, nails, wires, and iron bars among others for use locally and for export.
The EIA report has outlined a number of concerns by the community regarding the risk of pollution from the proposed project.
Monitoring noise
One of the major concerns that were raised during public participation hearings involves air and noise pollution.
However, the company says it has outlined ways of controlling pollution such as through carrying out quarterly monitoring of local air quality and monitoring noise and vibrations from the factory.
The firm also intends to install a fume extraction system to control air pollution as well as controlling dust emissions.
