Coal miner to up gas exports

Oliver Kazunga, Acting Business Editor
ONE of the Matabeleland North-based coal miners, Zambezi Gas is set to increase its exports to 20 percent of its production which is expected to increase to 200 000 tonnes a month as from next month.

At present, the colliery is exporting 10 percent of its production which averages about 100 000 tonnes per month.

In a recent interview, Zambezi Gas operations director Engineer Menard Makota said they intend to improve their exports correspondingly with the projected increase in output next month.

The targeted output is anchored on Zambezi Gas’ recent acquisition of a US$3 million opencast mining equipment comprising excavators, bull dozers, water bowsers, graders and dump trucks.

“Our target is to increase exports to 20 percent on the back of the targeted 200 000 tonnes of coal per month as from February. At present our exports are around 10 percent of the current output,” he said.

The latest mining equipment is earmarked for use on the northern pit (second opencast pit) and it is hoped that the machinery would also be pivotal to Zambezi Gas’ planned underground operations later this year.

Presently, the coal miner is working on removing overburden material on the northern pit.

The mining company exports mainly to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as Malawi and Mozambique.

“We are hoping that after this wave of lockdown we’ll be able to visit our customers in DRC and Zambia to engage them as we are in the process of ramping up production,” said Eng Makota.

The company exports to both the industrial and agricultural sectors in the respective countries.

Locally, the firm supplies to players in the ferrochrome and steel manufacturing industries, hospitals, agriculture and the manufacturing sectors.

The coal producer also supplies up to 60 percent of its output to the Zimbabwe Power Company’s thermal power stations in Hwange, Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare.

Zambezi Gas is a wholly-owned indigenous company. – @okazunga.