adminTHE country’s biggest coal mine — Makomo Resources — is targeting to export 90 000 tonnes of coal to South Africa once it commissions its $14 million washing plant as it seeks to expand its regional foothold.
Makomo Resources general manager, Mr Samson Mabvira, said the success of the exports would, however, depend on how capable the National Railways of Zimbabwe was in transporting the coal.
“NRZ has indicated they are in the process of refurbishing their wagons and even hinted that they might even hire from South Africa. It’s a lot of tonnage we intend to export about 90 000 of washed coal,” Mr Mabvira said.
He said the washing plant which was supplied and installed by South African firm, Bond, would be commissioned before the end of the year.
“We wanted to get the plant running early this year and we were hoping that Bond will do so last month but they cited other commitments in Russia but now they have indicated that they are ready so it will be commissioned anytime soon. The delay in commissioning was partly to do with cashflow challenges because there were certain mine operations we were running.
“It (washing plant) will give us an optional third dimension product of high quality product in the form of coking coal for the ferro chrome industries and the ovens at the Hwange Power Station. The power for the plant is already there what we need is to connect the high tension power supply to the main line,” Mr Mabvira said.
The installation of the washing plant would see Makomo Resources producing three types of coal namely power coal, dry and wet screened peas and coking coal.
Mr Mabvira said the successful installation of the washing plant would enable the company to achieve its production target of surpassing 300 000 tonnes of coal per month.
“The commissioning of the plant will see us exploring the regional market. We are already sending a low tonnage to Zambia. However, most of our coking coal needs to go to South Africa.
“Ziscosteel (now NewZim Steel) which was our hope is not taking off so we have been linking with our associate in South Africa,” he said.
NRZ’s public relations manager Mr Fanuel Mr Masikati said his company had the capacity to move large volumes of traffic and could always seek assistance from other railway companies from the Southern African Development Community.
“We are geared to move all the traffic by our clients and at the same time if we are to face challenges with regards to getting adequate resources we can always rely on our arrangement in the SADC regional pool,” he said.
Makomo Resources started mining operations in 2010 with its main endeavour being to stabilise coal stock pile at the Hwange Power Station which at that time had reserves of about 8 000 to 10 000 tonnes of coal at its disposal as the only supplier by then Hwange Colliery Company Limited was struggling to deliver the commodity.
The company has since its inception invested more than $200 million.
“In 2013 we were producing 150 000 tonnes of coal a month of which most of it we delivered to the Hwange Power Station with some going to the small thermal power stations of Munyati, Bulawayo and Harare.
“In December the Zimbabwe Power Company instructed us to reduce deliveries to 70 000 tonnes and we have been doing that and only started doing 100 000 tonnes in May and in June we delivered 120 000 tonnes,” Mr Mabvira said.
He, however, bemoaned the delay in payment by ZPC as affecting the company’s viability.
“The payment pattern by ZPC has not been good as it has not paid us since September last year. It was owing us $19, 2 million and recently paid us only $5 million. We had exhausted our capacity in terms of fuel and other consumables,” Mr Mabvira said.
Coal Producers and Processors Association of Zimbabwe president, Dr Charles Mandlenkosi Msipa, said the installation of the washing plant by Makomo Resources was a major investment which was a key factor in the ongoing developments in the steel and other smelting industries.
“The installation of the washing plant by Makomo will ensure that coal with an ash content of 10 percent and below will be available to the coking industry which in turn supplies the steel and ferro-chrome smelters.
“This development means that HCCL, Coal Brick, Chilota Colliery and now Makomo are in a position to offer coal washed to a defined specification as per the directive issued by the Mines and Mineral Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa at the HCCL guest house stakeholder meeting in May this year,” Dr Msipa said.
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