[Ferro-Alloys.com] Chinese nickel and steel producer Tsingshan Holding Group wrapped up the building of two high carbon ferrochrome furnaces in Selous in Mashonaland West province last month, a Zimbabwe minister said on Tuesday.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Tsingshan also finished the construction of a 150,000 metric ton coke battery in Hwange's Mpongola village in April.

"In May 2021, the company (Tsingshan) began construction of an additional 150,000 tons coke battery," Mutsvagwa said in a statement that followed a cabinet meeting.

Through its subsidiary, Dinson Colliery, Tsingshan is building a 300,000 tons per year coking plant, the largest and most advanced coke oven in Zimbabwe.

Mutsvangwa said in November that Tsingshan will start the construction of a third coke battery and a power station in Hwange area while in July the company will break ground for an iron ore mine and $1 billion carbon steel plant at Manhize in Mvuma.

The development of three projects by Tsingshan in Selous, Hwange and Mvuma since the signing of an agreement with government in 2018 is expected to contribute immensely toward the economic transformation of the country through mining. In 2019, Zimbabwe launched an ambitious plan to turn the country's mining sector into a $12 billion industry by exploiting its vast mineral resources.

The projects by Tsingshan are all anticipated to revive the country's ailing steel industry which collapsed with the demise of Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company, enhance the country's power-short sector and create thousands of jobs.

Economic analyst Cyril Moyo said the investments by the Tsingshan group will transform the fortunes of the country's mining industry and put Zimbabwe and the southern African region on the world map of steel production.

Source: chinadaily.com.cn

• [Editor:kangmingfei]