Company to introduce new cement product
GWERU-based cement manufacturer, Sino Zimbabwe Cement Company, is set to introduce a new cement product, ordinary portland cement, with a strength of 42,5 used in the construction of tall structures, bridges and roads on the market before the end of the month.
The cement manufacturer, which is a joint venture between the Industrial Development Corporation and China Building Materials Corporation already does masonry cement (22,5) which is recommended for all masonry work, brick, mortar, plastering and general building and portland composite (32,5) cement which is used to for construction of high strength structures.
In an interview, the company’s managing director Mr Wang Yong, said the firm has applied to the Standards Association of Zimbabwe to get the nod to introduce the product.
“We have already applied for the licence to introduce the cement type 42,5 on the market and I believe it will be issued after SAZ which has already collected some samples, has certified the product that it meets the standards. SAZ has indicated to us that they will issue us the certificate in June and then we can put the product on the market.”
Sino Cement is banking on the infrastructure development deals signed between President Mugabe and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Xinping such as the refurbishment of Hwange Power Station, construction of the Kariba Hydro-Power Project. There are also other separate developments such as the dualisation of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway to provide the market for the new product.
The introduction of the new cement product which is only manufactured locally by Pretoria Portland Cement comes after the Sino Cement raised its storage capacity following the construction of two silos and the installation of two automated packing machines at a cost of $2 million last year.
The silos increased storage capacity of cement stock to 10 000 tonnes of the commodity while the packers doubled the capacity of cement being discharged per day from 1 500 tonnes per day to 3 000 tonnes per day.