Tata Chemical Magadi Ltd. is planning to upgrade its trona-crushing plant to produce 1 million metric tons of soda ash every year, from the current 300,000 tonnes.
- The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has called upon members of the public to submit their comments and reservations on its impact report for the proposed expansion of the Magadi plant.
- The assessment study had evaluated whether Tata Chemical’s plans will pollute the air and water, determining how they would save energy and get rid of solid waste.
- The decision to ramp up soda ash production has been prompted by rising global demand for the mineral, which according to ChemAnalyst, is projected to grow at CAGR of 4.42% until 2035.
“Pursuant to section 59 of the environmental management act, 1999, The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has received an Environmental Impact Assessment Study Report for the proposed project,” said NEMA in a statement.
Tata Chemicals plans to install more waste treatment and spill containment systems to prevent water pollution. It will also protect its workers by providing hearing protection, dust masks, regular health screenings, and emergency preparedness.
The plant’s expansion will precipitate a demand for more labour thus more jobs for the local population. The Magadi region in Kajiado county depends largely on the mining activity in the area. Tata Chemicals has invested millions in the area’s infrastructure, community drives, and education.
Earlier this year, the residents feared that Tata Chemicals will cease operations after being embroiled in a row with the Kajiado county government over unpaid land rates. The company has more than 400 employees and twice the number of contractors involved in extracting the mineral.
Apart from this almost symbiotic relationship between the mining company and the locals, soda ash remains an invaluable component of Kenya’s nascent mining economy. According to the KNBS Economic survey 2024, soda ash quantity production fell by 25.2% last year compared to 2022.
In terms of value, soda ash recorded a value of KSh 1.7 billion – a 15% drop from KSh 2 billion in 2022. The expansion of the plant will seek to resuscitate the value of soda ash to the economy, raising it by over a billion.
