Story by Yolanda Moyo
THE government’s bold industrialisation and modernisation drive is beginning to yield tangible results, with Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) emerging as a critical pillar in Zimbabwe’s quest for energy security and economic revival.
The transformation at Hwange Colliery Company Limited stands as a model for Zimbabwe’s wider industrial recovery and speaks directly to the goals of Vision 2030, underpinned by the National Development Strategy.
During a media tour of the giant coal mining company led by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, this Friday, Hwange Colliery Company Limited administrator, Mr Munashe Mashava told journalists that over US$3.5 million has been invested towards the acquisition of equipment.
“We are looking at 3.5 million dollars that we have availed towards the acquisition of equipment here at HCCL. The recovery of the coke oven battery is now sitting at 95 percent of jock, which basically means that we are done.
“The next stage is what we call preheating, for it to operate at 1 200 degrees Celsius. That means we have to build up those levels over a period of 60 to 90 days, and the preheating will start next Monday on the 15th. We are excited that what we are doing is value-adding, and we are also looking at processing the by-products such as tar and bitumen, gas recovery, and further processing to get carbon black, which is a high-value production,” Mr Mashava said.
Dr Muswere, hailed the recapitalisation of HCCL as a shining example of successful public-private partnerships under the Second Republic’s reconstruction agenda.
“The modernisation thrust towards industrialisation, recapitalisation, and joint venture models that have been adopted by the government as part of the reconstruction exercise in order to resuscitate Hwange Colliery Company Limited now includes more than five mines, both underground and open-cast mining taking place.
“From a pre-2017 record of 500 thousand metric tonnes per annum to more than 7 million metric tonnes of coal being produced under Hwange Colliery Company, with the following proportions: 25 percent going towards industrialisation in different spheres, from secondary and primary activities, and to agricultural production. Another 26 percent goes towards foundry production and metallurgical production, with another 50 percent going towards thermal power generation.
“The entirety of the whole ecosystem sits around Hwange Colliery Limited, which is now focusing on value addition, which includes the finalisation of the coke oven batteries and refurbishment of gas infrastructure towards Zimbabwe Power Company. The whole recapitalisation included a lot of vehicles being procured in order to increase coal production.
“The foundry and metallurgical coke is of great importance in terms of steel production. The whole ecosystem is housing various coke products, contributing to thousands of jobs both downstream and upstream, thereby ensuring that Hwange is part of a catalyst that will help achieve Vision 2030,” he noted.
In a bid to protect its workforce and surrounding communities, HCCL has also significantly invested in healthcare infrastructure, including the procurement of four dialysis machines and the expansion of several medical facilities to enhance access to quality healthcare.
