By Staff reporter

Hwange based Chinese coke producer, South Mining has secured regional export markets for its product.

South Mining Managing Director, Chenji Li told this publication that in 2019 the Chinese company exported coke worthy US$7.8 million.

“South Mining is marketing and selling its products to not only Zimbabwe locally, but also exports to South Africa, Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo.

“We are targeting to export coke worth US$12, 5 million in 2020,” he said.

To satisfy both export and local market, Li said, South Mining was expanding its production capacity by building two coke oven batteries in two phases.

“Phase 1 has the capacity to produce 140 000 tons per annum and was completed in August 2019, while phase 2 will be commissioned in 2022,” he said.

Li said plans were afoot for the company to venture into coal mining to ensure the availability of coal, the major raw material in coke production.

Coke is an essential raw material for ferrochrome production, steel manufacturing and copper smelting.

The regional demand for coke is estimated at around US$4 million tons per annum with direct imports amounting to a third of this demand and could all be replaced by coke produced in Zimbabwe.

Coke is the solid residue obtained from coal or lignite by heating it to a high temperature in the absence or near absence of air. It is high in carbon and low in moisture and volatile matter.

By products in coke production includes crude tar (pitch), benzol and coke oven gas. 

The success of the mining firm shows solidifying relations between Zimbabwe and China with the later increasing its investments in Zimbabwe, a sign that the country has a conducive environment for investments.

China, the largest foreign direct investment source for Zimbabwe in nearly two decades, invested US$3 billion in 2018, constructing some of the following projects, the Victoria Falls Airport Expansion Project, the Mugabe International Airport Expansion Project, the Kariba South Hydro-power Station Expansion Project and the Hwange Power Station Expansion Project.