SOMEVAM is a subsidiary of the Tunisian Sebri Group, which has interests in quarrying, agriculture and food processing. Sebri Group will work with its wet processing partner CDE, to design and engineer the new plant which will be located at SOMEVAM’s quarry in Oueslatia.
Sebri Group has operated sand quarries in Oueslatia, Tunisia to serve the national construction market for the past two decades. Here, SOMEVAM was producing a range of sand and aggregate materials for the construction sector.
Its management team identified an opportunity to further diversify the business by expanding into the glass sands market to strengthen its commercial proposition in the region, and in 2019 commissioned its first CDE solution at the site.
The state-of-the-art silica sand wash plant has the capacity to treat up to 200tph of sand, producing 100tph of silica glass sand for the glass industry, as well as a range of secondary products including fine silica sand for silica flour production, foundry sand, concrete sand and road base.
Investment in a second silica sand wash plant comes as SOMEVAM says it is recording significant interest in its future production output. The plant will produce silica sand, which has applications in paints, coatings and inks, adhesives and sealants, pharmaceuticals, lighting and more as well as silica for flat glass applications such as windows, mirrors and flat glazing.
The glass industry accounts for more than a third of the total market for silica sand based on end-use, and market analysis projects a growth rate of 7.12% in the silica market over the forecast period 2019–2026, reaching US$3bn by 2026. While North America has the largest market share, the Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to display the highest growth rate, according to a report fom Bizwit Research & Intelligence.
Commenting on the announcement, CDE’s senior project manager Bassem Idriss said: “We’re very pleased to once again partner with Sebri Group on this exciting project announcement that will significantly expand SOMEVAM’s silica sand processing and production capacity. Its previous investment in CDE technology exemplifies our commitment to engineering excellence and is one of the most advanced plants of its kind."
Ruchin Garg, CDE regional manager, MEA (Middle East & Africa), added: “At CDE, every customer is a customer for life. SOMEVAM’s existing silica sand plant, which was commissioned in 2019, receives expert proactive and preventative maintenance and support. It’s this commitment to our customers, one that ensures their CDE solution is running at optimum efficiency to maximise product throughput, yield and profitability while minimising their environmental footprint, that has formed the foundation from which we can continue to build upon our positive relationship with Sebri Group through this latest announcement.”
Habib Sebri, owner and chairman of Sebri Group, said: “Following a hugely successful venture into the glass sand industry with our first CDE plant, we sought an additional plant to meet the growing demand for our products. We are excited to partner with CDE once again on this new project to maintain the quality and consistency of our offering, and we thank all of those partners who helped secure funding and provided their expertise and resources to help make this ambitious project a reality.”
CDE and Sebri Group said they will share more details about the development of the new SOMEVAM silica sand wet processing solution in the Oueslatia region over the coming months.
With authorisation from the Central Bank of Tunisia, funding for the new investment was secured with the support of UK Export Finance, AF Capital, Apple Bank, and supported by British Embassy Tunis.
