Turnall’s pipe plant comes on stream

BULAWAYO-based Turnall Holdings pipe plant, which started production eary this month, has started delivering various sizes of pipes earmarked for water and sewer reticulation countrywide.

Turnall’s technical director Mr Francis Chigwedere said last week the company had started delivering pipes with a combined value of more than US$2 million to the Masvingo Trunk Sewer, Nkayi Rural District Council, Victoria Falls Pipeline and Harare water maintenance projects.

Turnall’s sewer pipes carry Standards Association of Zimbabwe certification. The pipe sizes range from 75mm to 900mm for pressure pipes of various pressure ranges from class six to 42.

It is estimated that with adequate supplies of raw materials the pipe plant has the capacity to produce 18 000 tonnes of pipes annually.

In adherence to its international quality standards certification, the pipes are subjected to stringent factory quality tests which involve each pressure pipe being individually tested to twice the working pressure in the field.

Under normal circumstances, the lifetime of asbestos cement pipes exceed 50 years. Fibre-cement pipes are reputed for reduced frictional losses and improved efficiencies. They usually have acrylic fibre for improved quality and strength.

In addition, they are easy and cheap to store and are not affected by ultra violet light.

When fully operational, Turnall’s Bulawayo plant employs more than 200 people working three shifts over 24 hours.

Mr Chigwedere said: “It normally utilises locally-produced raw materials thus creating the much-needed employment opportunities in downstream industries as well as contributions to Government through taxes.

“At the moment, the plant is producing fibre-cement pipes using fibre imported from Brazil and Russia and competing with alternative imported pipes, a situation that negates the empowerment of local businesses.”

The pipes are produced by cold bonding through application of compression on the successive layers of lamina around the appropriate mandrel until the required pipe thickness is achieved. The whole production process is considered environmentally clean.