Cosmec builds a new turnkey plant in Benin

In line with environmental sustainability principles, the entire facility will be powered by a photovoltaic system that reduces the environmental footprint ensuring an energy supply despite the instability of the local power grid.

A fully automated industrial facility in Benin, designed to produce up to 200 tonnes of clay bricks a day, is Cosmec’s latest groundbreaking project aimed at radically transforming residential construction in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This private initiative was launched with the approval and support of the government by the founder of Nature Brique, Victor Franck Kidjo, to address the urgent need to improve the housing conditions of the local population.

In a fragile climate prone to extreme events, clay remains one of the most effective and sustainable building materials thanks to its thermal and acoustic insulating properties and its resistance to earthquakes, flooding and the increasingly frequent and sudden impacts of climate change.

Technologies with a focus on sustainability

The plant will be able to produce a wide range of clay products, including blocks for internal and external walls, floor slabs, beams, facing bricks and brick slips.

The fully automated production line will include a wet pre-processing unit, raw material storage silos, an extrusion system, a Vicenza model tunnel dryer, handling lines for green and dried products, a traditional tunnel kiln, and an automatic stacking and palletising system for the finished products.

In line with environmental sustainability principles, the entire facility will be powered by a photovoltaic system equipped with storage batteries. This will reduce its environmental footprint while ensuring an energy supply despite the instability of the local power grid. To guarantee uninterrupted operation, a backup generator capable of powering the entire plant will also be installed.

A project driving regional development

Nature Brique and its technology partner Cosmec aim to strengthen local industry and counter the phenomenon of diaspora, which sees many young people emigrating to Europe in search of stability. The plant will create both direct and indirect jobs by training a new workforce specialised in clay product manufacturing. The aim is to spark a “reverse diaspora” consisting of a flow of skills and opportunities back to the region of origin.

Mirko Rorer, Cosmec’s sales director, described it as an honour to meet Victor Franck Kidjo,

“a capable, enterprising and courageous man who has shown determination to make a real difference for his country”.

For his part, Kidjo expressed his enthusiasm for partnering with a company that has chosen to operate in the challenging context of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Founded by Kidjo in 2011, Nature Brique has its headquarters in Cotonou and a production facility in Tanwé Hessou, in the municipality of Zogbodomey, central Benin.

It produces clay bricks and employs around thirty people. The company’s mission is to offer sustainable, high-performance building solutions that improve living comfort in Africa’s challenging climate.

Its goal is to deliver durable, healthy products that meet international standards while making the most of the country’s resources and technical skills.

With this project, Cosmec reaffirms its international outlook and its commitment to supporting the development of emerging regions, strengthening its role as a reliable and innovative partner attentive to local needs.