Tanzania to get first hot-dip galvanising plant for mining supports

MWANZA: TANZANIA is set to start local production of underground mining support equipment in October, with a new factory expected to produce up to 75,000 Split Sets a month, more than twice the estimated domestic demand. Mining Engineering Services Tanzania Limited (MES) plans to begin commercial production at its factory later in October, introducing Hot Dip Galvanising technology for the manufacture of mining support equipment. The factory will produce Split Sets, also known as friction bolts, Dome Plates and Mine Mesh, which are used to support and stabilise underground mine workings.

MES Operating Manager Chrispine Ndege told journalists that the plant’s production capacity would exceed the estimated domestic demand for about 30,000 Split Sets a month, potentially allowing the company to supply the regional market. Speaking at the Fifth Local Content Compliance Forum in Mwanza, Mr Ndege said the investment was intended to increase local production of mining equipment and reduce reliance on imports. “Our intention is to reduce dependence on imported products, increase employment, raise people’s incomes, transfer technical knowledge through collaboration with local universities and place Tanzania among countries producing mining equipment using modern technology,” he said.

Mr Ndege said the factory would be able to produce 75,000 Split Sets a month in a single production shift. He said local production would also reduce the time mining companies spend procuring the equipment from overseas suppliers and lower costs associated with imports. MES, a Tanzanian-registered company established in 2025, has 59 per cent local ownership and 41 per cent foreign investment.

The factory is being established as Tanzania pushes for greater local participation in the mining value chain, including the production and supply of goods and services previously sourced from outside the country. The company said the project is expected to create hundreds of jobs and provide opportunities for technical skills development through collaboration with local universities. The post Tanzania to get first hot-dip galvanising plant for mining supports appeared first on Daily News.