Henry Sy Jr. ventures into cement production

Businessman Henry Sy Jr., scion and namesake of the SM Group founder, is leading investors who are putting up a R2-billion plant to produce cement through a revolutionary process that uses lahar and other materials instead of the traditional limestone and shale.

Big Boss Cement, Inc. (BBCI) is a 100 percent Filipino-owned company guided by leading edge research & development. It is using a manufacturing process that results in stronger structures and the most environmentfriendly cement in the world.

While local cement producers, dominated by foreign owned firms, are currently engaged in a price war and reeling from the effect of cheap imports, Big Boss President Engr. Gilbert S. Cruz said they can still compete because of rising demand and their very competitive costs.

He noted that, with more local supply coming in, there will be less need for the importation of cement or clinker.

“We are excited at the prospect of making a positive impact not only in the local construction industry but also in terms of decreasing air pollution and damage to the environment,” said Cruz who invented the process.

BBCI’s new technology does away with the 200-year-old system of mining raw materials such as limestone, clay, shale and sand, and heating them inside a kiln at around 1,500 degrees Celsius.

This old process produces heavy carbon dioxide emissions, which is why the cement industry to date accounts for around 5 percent of harmful C02 emissions in the world.

In addition, the quarrying of raw materials, if not done in a responsible manner, leads to the destruction of the environment.

“What BBCI has done is invent a new manufacturing process which makes use of readily available materials, such as lahar, almost all types of soil and fillers that requires less heat in order to produce high-quality cement products,” said Cruz.

He explained that, “we have been able to do this because our operations are anchored on research and technology. Not to mention, out team is composed of industry experts and multi-awarded scientists.”

Cruz added that, because of the new technology, their plant costs about 50 percent less than the R3 billion to R4 billion a traditional plant of the same capacity will cost. BBCI’s new plant in Porac, Pampanga with a capacity of 1.5 million bags a month is now 95 percent complete.

Its first product, the “Big Boss Cement Type 1P: Reduced clinker. Super tough. Eco friendly” will be available in the market in March 2018.

BBCI has a laboratory in Metro Manila, fully equipped with a mini dryer, mini mill, Compressive Machine, XRF Machine and a Flow table, among others, to ensure the continuous pursuit for the true green cement.

This testing facility has the potential to produce 5,000 bags per month.