Hwange Colliery Company resumed coke production yesterday with its battery discharging 60 tonnes of the critical input for metallurgical industries.
It is a gradual recommissioning process that will see the 22-year-old plant operating at full capacity next week.
The battery stopped working in February this year after most of its 32 ovens ceased operating.
Hwange, the largest coal miner in Zimbabwe, had engaged consultants from Arcelor Mittal, the world’s largest steel marker, Forosbel Africa (Private) Limited of South Africa and the Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company. The companies use coke in their production process.
"We have already pushed (discharging coke) from six ovens and we are hoping to operate at full capacity by the end of next week," HCCL spokesperson Burzil Dube said.
He said the plant, key to the survival of the colliery would produce at least 18 000 tonnes a month when operating at full capacity.
HCCL marketing manager, Mr Charles Zhou said the company would now focus on resuscitating lost markets when the plant was down.
"Our customers never stopped operating because Hwange was unable to supply.
"This means that they were getting the product from somewhere else. Now that the product is available, Hwange will work to revive traditional markets and we are hopeful that we will be able to regain them," Zhou said.
Hwange Colliery markets coke in three broad categories namely foundry coke, metallurgical and coke peas.
Hwange used to supply coke to South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The initial stage under the resuscitation had been charging tar into the oven to achieve an average of between 800 and 1 000 degrees Celsius.
This was followed by infusion of liquefied petroleum gas that culminated in temperatures rising above 1 050 degrees Celsius suitable for burning coking coal to produce coke.
The coke oven battery was commissioned in 1987 by a British company, Otto Simon Carves.
Source: Zimbabwe Herald
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