A Chinese company has embarked on the construction of a manganese smelting plant at the total cost of 15 million United States dollars in Kapiri Mposhi district, in Central Province.
Hu-Cheng Mining LTD, a company engaged to carry out the works commenced the construction of the plant three months ago, and is expected to complete the works and hand it over in July 2019.
Hu-Cheng Mining LTD Production Director Yan Li says the plant will be the largest manganese smelter in the country.
Mr Li told ZANIS in an interview that the smelter will have capacity to process 40, 000 tonnes of manganese, which will produce steel alloy plates, to be used in the manufacturing of iron related products such as iron sheets and machinery.
Mr Li said the company will also create over 200 direct jobs for local people in the district.
“This plant we are constructing here will be the biggest in Zambia, we have a similar plant in China were we are processing raw manganese into semi-finished steel alloy so this one is a model of that plant in China,” Mr. Li said.
He noted that the company will be procuring manganese ore from local small scale manganese miners, in Kapiri Mposhi, Mkushi and Serenje districts.
And Mr Li said his company will empower local manganese miners with mining equipment to enhance their mining capacity, in order to sustain the supply of the required manganese feed-stock to the plant.
“Small scale miners will have no challenge to supply us with manganese because we are going to supply them with machinery such as excavators and transfer mining skills to them to mine the ore to supply us to sustain the plant,” Mr Li said.
However, Mr Li notes that electricity will be a challenge during the construction process due to the high voltage of electricity supply needed at the plant.
He said his company has since presented a request to ZESCO for supply the plant with a 33 kilo-volt line.
“We set up this plant in Kapiri Mposhi because the area is strategically located and has enough manganese deposits to sustain the plant,” Mr. Li said.
And Kapiri Mposhi Town Council Chairman, Obby Kabasa notes that the construction of the manganese plant, and other investments to the district will help the local authority increase its revenue base.
I hope transportation is still going to be done by Zambian transporters and not what is happening on the copperbelt between kitwe and chambeshi were the Chinese are doing their own transportation and overloading destroying our roads in the name of investment
Wow… am still reeling with the decision to buy fire taka takas.
We could have added 3 million and built three government owned mines.
Now the taka takas are just moribund not bringing any income.
God Save Zambia and punish its thieves.
Complain is what Zambians are good at, so sad ???? ???? ????.
15 trucks cost same as a shelter.
So they sell those unused fire trucks to DRC, OF government can construct 3 more smelters, 1 in Mansa, 1 Serenje and 1 Mufulira.
“This plant we are constructing here will be the biggest in Zambia, we have a similar plant in China were we are processing raw manganese into semi-finished steel alloy so this one is a model of that plant in China,” Mr. Li said. Am I missing something here. I thought steel requirea some iron to make? Are they going to use scrap steel to add to the manganese?
Good question, perhaps this will trigger the search for iron ore deposits in Zambia?? Just thinking!!!
It is like the talk of a person proposing a lady. Nice and sweet massage at first but wait after 2 years you will know the true colour of Chinese.
@Chichi what would you have done to your country – Zambia if there were no Chinese building roads, hospitals, schools, smelters, airports, toll gates…????
@Chichi what would you have done to your country – Zambia if there were no Chinese building roads, hospitals, schools, smelters, airports, toll gates…???? And who would you have proposed??
wow Zambia is amazing $15 million for a smelter while we wanted to build a road at $1.2billion and we bought fire trucks at $42million and built a toll plaza at $4.3 million we are amazing
Anything with PF valuations and Chinese loans is grossly inflated….Chinese are smart they give more than enough knowing you can not pay back so they can grab your strategic assets …Mombasa port is under threat if the Kenyans dont payup and its on their China Belt map.
Meanwhile PF has budgeted $20 million towards building a new State House…ask yourself why I call these the Lungu Wasted Years!!