Hwange fires up US$8 million coke oven battery

Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) is set to ignite its newly refurbished US$8 million coke oven battery on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in the company's industrial turnaround strategy. The launch coincides with a US$60 million investment into a major underground coal mining project, signalling a bold push towards value addition in Zimbabwe's coal sector.

The coke oven battery, the largest in the country, represents a strategic shift from selling raw coking coal to producing high-value coke, a critical input for steel manufacturing. Production is expected to commence by the end of December, aligning with the rising demand from Zimbabwe's burgeoning steel industry, including major projects such as the Manhize steel plant.

The new battery is complemented by HCCL's underground coal mining project, a joint venture with China's Zhongjin Investments, aimed at unlocking the colliery's underground potential. Minister of Mines and Mining Development Winston Chitando visited Hwange on Thursday to assess progress on both projects.

"There used to be a coke oven battery here, but it reached the end of its life. Now, Hwange will channel some of its coking coal to the battery, enhancing revenue, profitability, and promoting value addition," Minister Chitando said, highlighting the project's cost-effective implementation. He confirmed the battery would be fired up on October 1, with production expected by year-end.

The underground mining initiative is designed to support the coke oven battery and expand coal output significantly. According to Engineer Akim Mutiti, the project has intersected coal at 240 metres below the surface, with current production at 600 000 tonnes per annum, set to increase to 2.5 million tonnes next year and 3 million tonnes the following year.

HCCL plans an integrated approach, washing coal from the underground mine before feeding it to the coke ovens. By-products from coking will be used to fuel a new 420-megawatt power station, further enhancing industrial self-sufficiency.

The revival of the coke oven battery and development of the underground mine are expected to create numerous jobs, stimulate local economic activity, and strengthen Zimbabwe's industrial metal value chain by reducing import dependency and increasing domestic beneficiation of coal resources.