eBusiness Weekly
George Maponga
Construction of the $750 million fertiliser plant in Chiredzi is expected to start soon after Government gave the project thumbs up, according to Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Professor Amon Murwira.
The plant, that will convert coal extracted from Mkwasine coal fields into fertiliser with an aggregate annual production of 520 000 tonnes, is set to add impetus to the ongoing thrust to revive the economy. Mining of coal at the State-owned Mkwasine fields, has already started and the project will be undertaken through a joint venture between Verify Engineering that falls under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development and a Canadian firm Mcgor Consortium.
Minister Murwira this week said Government gave seal of approval to the landmark project that is set to transform Masvingo Province through downstream effects.
‘‘It is now all green (good to go), HE (His Excellency President Mnangagwa) signed the necessary papers approving the joint venture so everything is now in place for the coal to fertiliser project to kick-off. The papers were signed (by President Mnangagwa) in December, so everything is now in place.’’
‘‘The Mkwasine coal fields are owned by us (Government through Verify Engineering) and mining of coal is already in full swing and sizeable stocks of coal have already been extracted in Chiredzi,” he said.
High optimism
Prof Murwira expressed optimism with the project saying everything was in place for its successful implementation despite delays experienced
before.
‘‘The pace in implementing this project might not have been what is expected but we are raring to go and we are on course and trying to kick-start it in a different way, the lights are green,’’ said Prof Murwira.
He said Government was pursuing a new thrust where education must engender industrialisation as Zimbabwe forges ahead with plans to transform into an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
Producing ammonium fertiliser from coal
If opened, the planned Mkwasine fertiliser plant will be the first of its kind in Zimbabwe that will produce ammonium nitrate fertiliser from coal. Government first announced plans to open the coal to fertiliser plant in Chiredzi last year.
Zimbabwe uses about 320 000 tonnes of fertiliser per annum and the country has been spending millions of dollars in hard currency to import the commodity and meet local demand.
The country will be in a position to export fertiliser after the opening of the Chiredzi plant that will surpass annual local requirements by more than 200 000 tonnes.
In the meantime, there is ammonium nitrate fertiliser shortage and the Chiredzi project in a few years’ time will see Zimbabwe able to produce more than enough to meet local demand.
