Bulawayo — Hwange Colliery Company, the country's sole coal producer will next month receive the first consignment of equipment worth more than US$16 million, which is expected to boost production. Sources at the colliery said the remainder of the equipment was expected in the country at the end of February.

"The deal has been sealed. All we are now waiting for is the delivery of the first batch of the equipment which is expected to be done around mid-February," the source said.

"This will go a long way in boosting the company's production levels as the equipment will enhance productivity at the mine."

The equipment includes articulated dump trucks, motor graders, excavators, and bulldozers.

"All this equipment will go a long way in improving the production at the Chaba, JKL, and the 3 Main Underground Mine where opencast mining was being conducted.

Meanwhile, Hwange Colliery Company Limited spokesperson, Burzil Dube said the company was still pursuing its application for concessions at the Western Areas Coal fields in Hwange.

"We put in our application with the relevant authorities and we hope that the application will succeed.

"This project is one of the long-term projects that we are pursuing to ensure that we maintain coal production in Zimbabwe," Dube said.

He said while industry was complaining that coal shortages were hindering production, the company would soon rise to the occasion.

"We are working flat out to ensure that we meet the demand for coal.

With what the company is doing at the moment, we believe we are on the right track and we will endeavour to ensure there is adequate coal for industry as a whole in Zimbabwe," Dube said.

He also highlighted they were working towards ensuring satisfying the export market, which he said was also growing.