Mitchell Dzoro
Khayah Cement, formerly Lafarge, announced on Wednesday that it will soon undertake a US$15 million refurbishment of its Kiln plant.
This move is anticipated to boost the availability of raw materials needed for cement production.
The Kiln plant is responsible for producing clinker, a crucial ingredient used in the manufacture of cement.
The Kiln plant is vital for generating clinker, a key component in cement manufacturing.
Speaking to journalist during a tour of the factory that is located in Manresa, Mr Innocent Chikwata, The Chief Executive Officer of Khayah stated that the company was affected was the breakdown of the kiln plant back in 2023.
“With the history that you know, last year we had some issues in the cement industry, part of what affected us as Khayah Cement was this piece of equipment which is called the Kiln. We had to make a decision to come to a point where we stopped it because of unreliability and so on.
“So, we are about to embark on a project where we refurbish this starting from the stacking area up until the end of this process. This project is going to cost us between US$15 million and US$20 million. Right now we are in the process of finalizing financing of the project and identification of who will do it, what needs to be done so this is monumental for us.It is a project in a normal cement factory that can happen once in 10 years and we are very privileged to be part of that monumental event that will happen,” said Chikwata.
Chikwata explained that the renovations of the plant are expected to take somewhere between eight months to a year to finish. He noted that once these refurbishments are complete, it will help bring stability to the cement industry by ensuring a reliable supply.
“Once in a while in our industry clinkers can become an issue. So, we have decided as Khayah to spend that money so that we not only stabilize Khaya Cement as an operation, but we also do the same for the cement industry,” said Chikwata.
Meanwhile, Khayah Cement operates a Vertical Cement Mill facility that was commissioned by President Mnangagwa in 2023.
The vertical cement mill technology represents a significant innovation and productivity enhancement for the company.
The vertical mill has enabled Khayah to increase manufacturing of their Supaset brand, a high-strength cement product that is in high market demand, with an annual production capacity exceeding 700,000 metric tons.
“There is a general movement towards high strength cement in the market in general and this plant affords us to produce it at the demand levels that the country now requires.
“We are coming from a backdrop where Zimbabwe traditionally used to use more of less strength cement but they has been a general move towards the 32.5, 42.5 and in specialized cases 52.5 for more specialized projects and what I can guarantee is that this mill can see off any demand level that can be required by the country,” said Chikwata.