Dingsen Steel Company, located near Manhize in the central province of Mvuma, recently initiated its blast furnace, marking the beginning of pig iron production. The factory will announce the price of pig iron before sales begin on Monday.
🔨 A Significant Step Forward 🚀
This advancement signifies a major step for the steel plant and is expected to have a substantial impact on the industrial outlook of the region.
Pig iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate product used in the steel industry for steel production. It is made by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace.
🏗️ Major Project Completion 🛠️
The Manhize steel plant plans to be operational sometime this year, with most of the major engineering of this large project currently completed.
The factory will become one of the largest integrated steel plants in Africa.
💼 Investment and Production 📈
Project investor Dingsen Company is one of the three local subsidiaries of Tsingshan Holding Group Co., Ltd., a global stainless steel manufacturer in China. The group also owns the Dingsen Coke Plant in Hwange, Matabeleland North, and the Chrome Iron Smelting Plant in Selous, Mashonaland West—Sino-African Smelting Company.
Project Manager Mr. Wilfred Motsi said in an interview that the company expects to produce 600,000 tons of steel products during the peak of the first phase of production annually.
"Last Wednesday afternoon, the blast furnace successfully started producing pig iron and is now ready. The price will be announced on Monday (tomorrow). The factory is expected to produce 600,000 tons in the first phase, 1.2 million tons in the second phase, 3.2 million tons in the third phase, and the final phase will reach an annual output of 5 million tons."
He said that the $1.5 billion factory and the power transmission line from Kwekwe to Manhize have been completed.
🌟 Becoming a Global Steel Manufacturing Center 🌟
Investing in steel has made Zimbabwe one of the global steel manufacturing centers, and forecasts indicate that Zimbabwe has the potential to become a powerhouse in the steel industry in the future.
Mr. Dosman Mangisi, Chief Operating Officer of the Zimbabwe Foundry Institute, said that the opening of the Dingsen Steel Plant will have a positive impact on local engineering and the revival of the steel industry.
"The operation of the Dingsen Steel Plant is one of the country's major development projects and will make a positive contribution to Zimbabwe's metal casting industry. The business community, entrepreneurs, mining industry, and the government itself will feel the impact in terms of currency and finance by the end of the year, and exports will also increase."
Mr. Mangisi said that this progress comes at a time when the foundry industry is facing a shortage of raw materials, which will also force the price of scrap metal to fall.
President Mnangagwa visited the factory in March and expressed satisfaction with the progress made.
The president said in his speech after the visit: "This investment and the speed of project progress have proven that the project investors are full of confidence in the favorable business environment and policies of the Second Republic."
"For many years, the full potential of our iron ore resources and value chain has not been fully developed to a large extent. However, under the leadership of the Second Republic, we have achieved a milestone leap through excellent team cooperation, focus, and determination in the public and private sectors, witnessing the establishment of this national strategic project."
"Therefore, it is pleasing that our iron ore will be fully mined, added value, and selected locally. This focus fully utilizes the value chain, including processing, manufacturing, and the supply of high-value steel materials and products, maximizing the benefits from natural resources."
The president said that by producing its own steel, Zimbabwe is preparing for unprecedented infrastructure development to achieve the 2030 vision.