70,000 m³/Year AAC Block Line in Ethiopia

In September 2024, we successfully delivered, installed, and commissioned a 70,000 m³/year AAC Block Manufacturing Line to Ethiopia—marking our strategic entry into East Africa’s fast-evolving construction sector.

Country	Ethiopia (Addis Ababa Industrial Zone)
Annual Production Capacity	70,000 m³ (Classified as Mini planta de hormigón celular—aligned with Ethiopia’s local demand)
Plant Type	Semi-Automatic Mini AAC Block Manufacturing Line
Client Type	Ethiopian building material distributor expanding into eco-friendly block production
Service Provided	Full turnkey solution (Custom Design + Equipment Supply + On-site Installation + Operator Training + 18-Month After-Sales Support)

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Why the Ethiopian Client Chose a 70,000 m³/Year AAC Line?

Our client—an established distributor of concrete blocks and cement in Addis Ababa—wanted to expand into high-demand AAC blocks but faced constraints like limited initial investment and small land size. The 70,000 m³/year mini plant was the ideal choice for three core reasons:

Market Alignment: Addis Ababa’s construction sector demands 60,000–80,000 m³ of AAC blocks annually (2024 industry data). The 70,000 m³ capacity ensures the client can meet local demand without overinvesting in unused production.
Cost-Efficiency: At ~780,000 USD, the setup cost fits the client’s budget for expansion. The plant also requires only 10 workers per shift (vs. 15+ for medium-scale lines), lowering ongoing labor expenses.
Escalabilidad: We designed the line with future expansion in mind—key components (e.g., autoclaves, batching systems) can be upgraded to 120,000 m³/year within 12 months if demand grows, avoiding the need for a full plant rebuild.

Detailed Equipment Configuration for AAC Block Line in Ethiopia

To ensure optimal performance in Ethiopia’s unique conditions (e.g., local raw material properties, power voltage), we customized the production line with high-quality, durable equipment. Below is the full breakdown of machinery, tailored to meet Ethiopia’s building standards (ES 1183:2018 for AAC blocks):

Equipment Category	Specific Machinery	Customization for Ethiopia	Función
Procesamiento de materias primas	Trituradora de mandíbulas	Adjusted crushing gap (50mm) to process Ethiopia’s hard limestone	Crushes limestone, gypsum, and lime into coarse powder (≤5mm) for grinding.
	Ball Mill (Model: Φ1.8m × 4.5m)	Equipped with high-wear-resistant liners to handle Ethiopia’s high-silica river sand.	Grinds raw materials (fly ash, limestone) into fine powder (80% passing 200-mesh sieve) for uniform slurry.
	Bucket Elevator	Reinforced belt to withstand dusty Ethiopian workshop conditions; speed calibrated for steady material flow.	Transports powdered raw materials (lime, cement) from crushers to storage silos.
	Storage Silos (3 units: 50m³ each for cement, lime, fly ash)	Fitted with level sensors and dust-collection systems	Stores raw materials safely, preventing moisture absorption and dust pollution.
Dosificación y mezcla	Automatic Batching System	Calibrated for Ethiopia’s fly ash to maintain block strength (≥3.0 MPa).	Precisely measures raw materials for consistent slurry quality.
	Slurry Mixing Tank	Low-speed agitator (30 RPM) to prevent sedimentation of Ethiopia’s dense river sand slurry.	Mixes fly ash/sand with water to form homogeneous slurry.
	Pouring Mixer	Stainless steel inner lining to resist corrosion from Ethiopia’s slightly acidic water.	Mixes slurry with aluminum powder (foaming agent) to create aerated mixture for casting.
Molding & Pre-Curing	AAC Mold (Size: 6.0m × 1.2m × 0.6m)	Detachable side plates for easy demolding; coated with non-stick material to reduce block damage.	Holds aerated slurry during pre-curing (4–6 hours at 40–50°C) to form “green cakes” (semi-solid blocks).
	Transbordador	Battery-powered (vs. electric) to handle occasional power outages in Addis Ababa.	Transports molds from pouring area to pre-curing rooms and then to cutting stations.
	Pre-Curing Room (2 units: 20m × 8m each)	Insulated walls and solar-assisted heating to reduce diesel use.	Maintains stable temperature/humidity for pre-curing, ensuring green cakes reach required hardness (≥1.5 MPa).
Corte	Vertical Cutting Machine	Small-scale design with manual adjustment for Ethiopia’s standard block sizes (600×200×100/150/200mm).	Cuts green cakes into final block dimensions with high precision (tolerance: ±2mm).
Autoclaving (Key Component)	Autoclave (2 units: Φ2.0m × 26m)	Fueled by biomass (locally available sugarcane bagasse) instead of diesel—lowers energy costs by 35%.	Applies high-temperature steam (190°C, 1.2MPa) for 8 hours to strengthen blocks, ensuring compliance with ES 1183:2018.
	Caldera de vapor	Modified to use biomass fuel; equipped with water treatment system to handle Ethiopia’s hard water.	Generates high-pressure steam for autoclaves; reduces scale buildup (common in Ethiopian water) to extend boiler life.
Finished Block Handling	Block Separator	Gentle separation mechanism to avoid chipping—critical for Ethiopia’s demand for high-quality blocks.	Separates bonded finished blocks (post-autoclaving) into individual units.
	Semi-Automatic Packing Machine	Manual feeding option (for small-batch orders) and automatic wrapping (for large orders to housing projects).	Packages blocks into 10-unit bundles; uses recyclable plastic film.

Export Process of AAC Block Line in Ethiopia

Pre-Production Preparation:
- Tested 4 batches of Ethiopian fly ash (from Finchaa Power Plant) and river sand (from Blue Nile) to optimize the slurry formula—ensuring block strength and density meet local standards.
- Customized block sizes to match Ethiopia’s common construction dimensions (600×200×100mm for interior walls, 600×200×200mm for exterior walls).
Manufacturing & Quality Checks:
- 38-day equipment production cycle, with 2 weekly video inspections by the client (to confirm progress and address questions).
- Conducted dry runs (using simulated Ethiopian raw materials) and load tests for all machinery—ensuring no defects before shipment.
Shipping & Documentation:
- Shipped via Djibouti Port (Ethiopia’s main trade gateway) using 8×40HQ containers; arranged inland transport (truck) to Addis Ababa (5-day journey).
- Prepared all required documents: Certificate of Origin (COO, authenticated by Ethiopian Embassy), Ethiopian Standards Agency (ESA) import approval, packing list, commercial invoice, and bill of lading.

On-Site Installation & Operator Training

Our 5-person engineering team spent 30 days on-site in Addis Ababa to ensure seamless setup and knowledge transfer:

Mechanical Installation (18 days): Assembled all equipment, with adjustments for Ethiopia’s 230V/50Hz power supply. We also reinforced the autoclave foundation to handle Addis Ababa’s clay soil.
Electrical Setup (7 days): Installed a PLC control system with a user-friendly interface (translated into Amharic) and added backup generators to mitigate power outages.
Operator Training (5 days): Trained 10 local workers on:
- Safe operation of high-risk equipment (autoclaves, ball mills) per Ethiopian labor laws (FDRE Labor Proclamation No. 1156/2019).
- Troubleshooting common issues (e.g., slurry inconsistency, steam pressure drops) with hands-on practice.
- Quality control: Testing block density (550–650 kg/m³), compressive strength, and dimensions using ESA-approved tools.

By the end of training, all workers could operate the line independently—fulfilling the client’s goal of building a skilled local team.

Post-Commissioning Performance

One month after launch, the AAC block line exceeded the client’s expectations, meeting all performance targets:

Autoclave of aac block manufactuing plant

Producción diaria: 190–210 m³ (consistent with 70,000 m³/year capacity).
Block Quality: 96.5% qualification rate (meets ES 1183:2018); compressive strength (3.2 MPa), density (580 kg/m³), and thermal insulation (0.14 W/mK) all above industry averages.
Eficiencia energética: Uses 28% less fuel than the client’s previous concrete block line (thanks to biomass-powered autoclaves and solar pre-curing).
Market Success: The client secured contracts to supply AAC blocks to 3 affordable housing projects in Addis Ababa and 1 hotel construction site in Bahir Dar—generating revenue within the first 6 weeks.

What Our Client Says?

“We were nervous about switching to AAC production—no one in our region had done it before,” said Mr. Alemayehu, the client’s operations director. “This team changed that: they tested our local fly ash, trained our workers in Amharic, and even helped us get ESA approval. The line runs smoothly, and our orders are already growing. In 2 years, we’ll upgrade to 120,000 m³/year—and we’ll only work with them.”

Por qué elegirnos?

Local Expertise: We understand Ethiopia’s raw materials (e.g., high-silica sand, low-carbon fly ash), regulations (ESA standards, labor laws), and logistics (Djibouti Port, inland transport).
Turnkey Reliability: From feasibility studies to post-launch maintenance, we handle every step—no hidden costs or delays.
Experiencia demostrada: We’ve supplied 8+ AAC lines to East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia), with 95% of clients achieving ROI within 2 years.
Equipment Durability: All machinery uses high-wear components (e.g., reinforced ball mill liners) to withstand Ethiopia’s harsh workshop conditions—backed by a 5-year warranty on core parts.

Start Your AAC Block Manufacturing Plant?

Whether you are planning a pequeño, medium, o large-scale AAC factory, we can provide complete solutions based on your land, budget, and market demand.

Contact us now to get a free feasibility study & detailed quotation. Our engineers will design the most suitable AAC plants for your needs.