Intrachem expansion to ease mining import bill

THE continued expansion of Kwekwe-based explosives manufacturing company, Intrachem Private Limited, is expected to ease the country’s import bill by US$20 million annually as the company looks to become a fully integrated manufacturer of mining equipment.

President Mnangagwa on Thursday officially commissioned phase 2 of the company’s plant in Kwekwe, which saw the establishment of a detonators’ plant to complement the explosives’ plant that was set up in December 2020.

Constructed to the tune of US$2 million, the detonator assembly is targeting to service mainly small-scale miners with the product, which the country used to import from South America.
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President Mnangagwa
Phase 1, the bulk inclusion plant, was completed in December 2020 and its target was mainly large-scale miners.

Eighty-five percent of the company is owned by locals while foreigners control the remaining 15 percent.
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Speaking after commissioning of the new plant, the company’s managing director, Mr Langton Nyandoro, said the company had a detailed expansion plan in place.

“We have an expansion plan and work on our phase Three has already started and our plan is to have completed phase five by 2025,” he said.

Nyandoro said the development will see Intrachem meeting about 80 percent of the country’s mining requirements.

The company has the capacity to satisfy small-scale miners with detonators and is already penetrating the regional markets.

“We have the potential to meet the mining industry’s requirements and also export to the region,” said Mr Nyandoro.

The company is already exporting to Zambia and Tanzania.
According to Mr Nyandoro, by December this year, the detonator plant would have reached 100 percent capacity utilisation.

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About 30 more jobs have since been created by the commissioning of the new plant.
He expressed satisfaction with growing Government support, which he said was creating a conduciveenvironment for business growth.

During the tour, President Mnangagwa commended the young investors for embracing the use of science, technology and innovation to drive economic growth.

“The company is predominantly led by our young engineers who are responding to our call for value addition and import substitution,” said President Mnangagwa.-The Chronicle