Zim targets beneficiating aluminium

Mukudzei Chingwere in DUSHANBE, Tajikistan

THE Government has set its sights on enhancing lightweight metal production through aluminium beneficiation to address the increasing industrial demand for the versatile metal.

Aluminium plays a vital role in various sectors, including global aerospace engineering, food packaging, household appliances and electrical conducting materials.

It is gradually replacing vandal-prone copper conductors.

Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, who is currently on a working visit to Tajikistan, expressed the country’s intention after touring the renowned Tajik Aluminium Company (TALCO).

He said the Government was keen on establishing similar world-leading processing plants within Zimbabwe.

TALCO, a powerhouse in Tajikistan’s industrial landscape, boasts an annual production capacity exceeding 500 000 tonnes of aluminium.

The metal is also one of Tajikistan’s primary export commodities.

VP Chiwenga emphasised the importance of collaboration between Harare and Dushanbe, saying the two countries can forge mutually beneficial economic ties.

“At home, we have CAFCA, which is producing electrical cables from aluminium, but the extent of this factory (TALCO) is quite massive,” said VP Chiwenga.

“We would want to see how we can cooperate in aluminium production, as we are migrating from copper cables to aluminium, and these huge production figures are what we would want to see.

“They will be in touch with our people back home who are doing the cables . . . you have seen how they have evolved their operations from 1975 up to the present day.

“We are inviting them to partner with local companies; we are in the same group of countries with them — developing countries — and we would like to share whatever we can tap from their expertise and whatever experiences they can also get from us.”

VP Chiwenga later met with Tajikistan’s Minister of Industry and New Technologies, Mr Sherali Kabir, and discussed possible areas of collaboration.

“We discussed ways we can improve the cooperation for the mutual benefit of our countries, and there are many areas Tajikistan and Zimbabwe are similar to each other, and this can be used as an opportunity to strengthen one another,” said Minister Kabir.

“The Honourable Vice President visited one of the largest industrial factories in Tajikistan.

“We are ready to cooperate and participate in the mining sector of Zimbabwe. Currently, there are about six companies in Tajikistan with over a billion dollars in turnover and they have an advantage in terms of technology, human resources and financial resources as well.

“The resources that these companies have is something that we want to utilise and take advantage of as we collaborate with Zimbabwe.”