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Tinashe Makichi Business Reporter
LOCAL cement manufacturer Sino Zimbabwe Cement Company is now operating at 60 percent capacity utilisation following a $4 million investment in a three-phased plant upgrade.

According to the company, upgrades were undertaken on the cement mill and rotary kiln in order to boost cement output.

The second phase will target upgrade of warehousing and storage facilities and is expected to be completed this year while the third and final phase will be completed next year.

In an interview with Herald Business last Friday, Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe (IDCZ) public relations advisor Mr Dereck Sibanda confirmed the development.

“The plant renovations were being carried out in three phases and the first phase has already been completed.

“The completion of the first phase boosted clinker production at the Gweru plant and right now we are producing 700 000 tonnes per year,” said Mr Sibanda.

“The amount invested went towards refurbishments of the cement mill, the rotary kiln as well as renewing and automating ancillary equipment.”

Mr Sibanda said demand for cement at the moment is at its peak and the company will continue with upgrades to improve viability.

“The second phase is expected to be complete sometime this year and we are quite confident of our prospects considering the richness of our limestone deposits.

“Our claims are the best compared to the other two giant cement companies,” he said.

Sino-Zim is a joint venture company between IDCZ and China Buildings Materials Corporation which started operating in 2001.

The $4 million investment by the Chinese shareholder was to boost output and reduce pollution.

Mr Sibanda said the installed latest technology would help the cement company reduce emissions that pollute the environment.

Sino-Zim was in 2013 fined by the Environmental Management Agency for air pol- lution.

The completion of the upgrade on the rotary kiln has seen the company improve on its energy consumption and reduce its carbon footprint.

In addition, the modern high temperature bag filter system will see the company significantly reduce its dust emissions.

This is a major consideration to the company as it seeks to showcase its abilities to protect the environment.

The refurbishment and upgrading of the Sino-Zim plant resulted in the plant becoming high-tech.

The plant’s demand for manual manpower had been significantly reduced while the requirement of highly technical staff had increased.