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Business Reporter
HWANGE Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) has started using some of the mining equipment it recently acquired under the $31,2 million deal. Last month, HCCL came under the spotlight following reports that the machinery sourced through funding from the PTA Belaz facility and the India Exim Bank was second-hand and hence inefficient.

The colliery and the equipment supplier BEML of India have since dismissed the claims and the government has directed HCCL to present a report on the newly sourced machinery.

The mining equipment, which includes 10 dump trucks, front end loaders, drill rigs, tyre handlers and water bowsers was commissioned by Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko on June 19.

A top official from HCCL yesterday said the bulk of the equipment had since been deployed after satisfactory assessment.

“Eleven of the 17 machines acquired from BEML of India have been successfully commissioned and deployed. The colliery will continue to monitor their performance. The remaining six machines experienced hydraulic oil leaks, which isn’t unusual in the commissioning of such mining equipment. The problem was immediately reported to the supplier and a highly specialised team was dispatched to Zimbabwe to investigate and supervise the fixing of the oil leaks,” said the official.

“As such, four of the machines are now working as expected and repairs of the remaining two are expected to be completed this week. Thereafter the machines will be deployed and run into operations.”

The official said HCCL was happy to advise that the hydraulic leaks experienced were speedily addressed by the supplier as the equipment was under warranty.

“Going forward, technical support for the BEML machines will be provided by a local BEML accredited agent,” said the official.

Following the commissioning of the new mining equipment, HCCL targets to improve coal output to a minimum of 450,000 tonnes per month.

The projected output was based on the new machinery together with the work of a contractor-Mota Engil that HCCL engaged in August last year.

Mota Engil was engaged to produce 200,000 tonnes of coal monthly and its output has reached 96,000 tonnes per month.