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Lovemore Zigara Midlands Correspondent
GWERU-based ferrochrome producer Zimbabwe Alloys Ltd (ZimAlloys) has commissioned a new jig and spiral concentrator which will see the company increasing its output four-fold at its metal recovery dump. ZimAlloys, which was acquired 10 years ago by a local consortium, Benscore, pins its revival hopes on processing dumps at its Gweru plant, which has two percent metal content.

Before the commissioning of the jig, the company was producing 200 tonnes of ferrochrome from recycled dumps per month.

ZimAlloys general manager, Mike Dzinoreva, said the latest developments would ensure the company raises capital to refurbish its A3 furnace, the largest in the country with a capacity to process 3,600 tonnes of chrome ore per month.

“Our intention is that we should be able to revitalise some of those furnaces with or without external investment and one way to do this is through the metal recovery plant, which has been the backbone of our survival,” he said.

“We’ve been able to produce 200 tonnes per month but we’ve come up with new Chinese technology and what’s exciting is that this plant was entirely built by our workers and it has got improved efficiency and better output to the extent that we should be able to recover four times what we’re producing.”

The company has also announced plans to build more jig and spiral concentrators, which will see production clock 1,000 tonnes a month.

The move is set to increase the company’s revenue and facilitate refurbishment of the company’s furnaces.

Recently, ZimAlloys commissioned its M1 furnace as part of the first phase of the refurbishment process in a move which would see the company smelting 4,000 tonnes per month and realising turnover of at least $4 million.

If the A3 furnace comes on board, which is subject to Zim Alloys securing $2, 5 million for the refurbishment process, turnover is expected to surge to $3, 6 million per month.

The activity at the ferrochrome processor has seen the company’s staff complement increase to 300 workers.