Dorothy Nakaweesi
16 October 2009
Ugandans in the construction sector will soon be saved from spending a huge import bill on purchasing Thermo Mechanically Treated (TMT) steel, now that the metal is being produced in the country.
Tembo Steels is the company behind the production of TMT an innovation believed to be the first of its kind in Uganda and in East Africa.
In an interview with Daily Monitor, Tembo Steels Chief Executive Officer, Mr Rajesh Nair said: "Ugandans have been spending huge sums of money to import this type of metal but we are glad that we can now produce it locally".
He said TMT will always be available because the key raw materials are sourced from locally collected scrap and this has on the other hand created a source of income for the local people.
"We recycle the scrap collected, add value to it and form the bars into something new and of international standard," Mr Nair said.
TMT, which will be officially unveiled on the local market on October 19, is new generation-high-strength steel with superior properties like weldability, strength, ductility and tensility, which meet the highest international quality standards.
"TMT resists fire and can withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees celicius, it also resists corrosion, enables welding and the bars are more flexible among others," Mr Nair said.
Tembo Steels is an ISO 9002 certified company, and one of the largest steel manufacturers in Uganda and East Africa.
The company, which opened its doors to business in Uganda has so far invested close to $30 million (Shs57.6 billion) and has a work force of over 1,500 in its two Plants; one located in Iganga and another in Lugazi. The company also has exclusive innovations in the production of Liquid Mild Steel and in using cast iron as input to produce mild steel products such as Z angles, T Sections.
At the moment cast iron is exported from Uganda at cheaper rates of $400 (Shs780, 000) per metric tone and the company has been converting the same and earns about $1200 (Shs2.3 million).
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