Pacific Cement Limited hopes for good weather once they are given clearance to offload clinker for their Lami factory.

This was confirmed by the Pacific Cement Limited assistant manager human resources Keleti Wainiqolo yesterday.

The vessel Poavosa Wisdom had arrived on Sunday and was still in the Suva Harbour yesterday awaiting green light.

The vessel has arrived on Sunday but could not offload due to bad weather.

“As soon as they (Suva ports) give the clearance they would start off loading,” Ms Wainiqolo said.

“The weather was good today but unfortunately the vessel could not berth as there was no space,” she said

Fiji Ports Corporation Limited media officer Losalini Bolatagici was on leave when contacted yesterday.

She said a comment will be available when she resumes work.

Ms Bolatagici did not disclose when she will resume work.

Clinker is a nodular material produced in the kilning stage during the production of cement and is used as the binder in many cement products.

The lumps or nodules of clinker are usually of diameter 3-25 mm and dark grey in color.

“As clinker is one of our major raw materials it is necessary to have it grinded with other raw materials to produce cement,” she said.

“We produce two types of cement – JB and JD and when we have higher sales we make up to $12,000 per month.

“Clinker is being imported from Japan. We have 25,000 tonnages on board and in a year we receive three or four shipments for clinker.

“It also depends on demand if there is an increases in demand we pre order for shipment.”

The clinker shipment was supposed to start on Sunday but due to weather condition and port clearance has been shifted for further notice.

“This is a 24 hour operation for the clinker to be offloaded and then transported to Pacific Cement Limited’s factory in Lami.

Ms Wainiqolo said 15 to 16 trucks which would be involved in the process. A contractor has been engaged to clear the road between the Suva Port and Lami for any spillages.

“There are environmental issues like dust but we have a permit to discharge it from department of environment,” she said.

“With this permit we have conditions to be abided by one of the main conditions is that the trucks must be properly covered.

“Clinker is very important in sense that 95 per cent of cement is clinker.