Maseru — The southern African states' markets are in a low demand of aluminium resulting in a minimal use of the metal unlike in other countries abroad, Mozambique Aluminium (Mozal) smelter plant official has said.
Briefing the media on the product's economic benefits within the region, Peter Cowie, Mozambique Affairs General Manager of Mozal Smelter plant, situated 17km west of Maputo, said the African continent has experienced a remarkably low demand of the metal due to a low use of the product.
There are three aluminium plants in the southern African region with Mozal being the biggest exporter of the product. The other two are in Richards Bay (Hillside and Bayside) in the neighbouring South Africa.
Reaching its full operation capacity this year, the three plants will account for 800,000 tonnes of aluminium a year, more than four per cent of the western world's aluminium production.
The US$1.3 billion investment Mozal smelter plant imports the raw materials from South Africa, America and Australia. The finished product is exported to Europe where it is used to manufacture various aluminium wares. This has made Australia Mozambique's second biggest trading partner since the start of the giant multi-national project, Cowie said.
However, apart from Mozambique, only two SADC countries, South Africa and Swaziland, benefit directly from the Mozal plant, making their economies boosted by a supply of electricity to the plant. The plant requires 45 megawatts of electricity, approximately twice the present power consumption of the whole Mozambique.
"To supply this need, a new company MOTRACO, was formed as a consortium between publicly-owned electrical companies of Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland.
This world class investment has created jobs for 800 people, a greater percentage of them being Mozambicans. During its construction phase, it employed 9 000 people including labourers. Mozambique is also gaining a financial benefit through payment of taxes.
In addition, the industry has brought along some new developments in the form of new infrastructure. Roads network is anew feature while electricity supply lights up the streets in an area that has virtually become a small city. Health and education services are also adding up to the advancement of the project. The surrounding communities are sensitized about the scourge of HIV/AIDS, malaria and diarrhoea. A new school is to be built in the near future while the old one has been supplied with new desks and chairs enabling good learning conditions.
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In order to address the environmental impact, an environmental assessment was made during the project's initial stages, Cowie said, adding that the fumes from the plant are crushed in order that they odd not contaminate the air.
So far, 80 new modern houses have been built accommodating 1 500 people while 60 vegetable market stalls were constructed for the community to sell their agricultural commodities.
The community has welcome the project which they regarded as an elephant. "Who would have thought a few years ago that this would really happen in our village? Nobody! We thought it was only a rumour. But the rumour has become a reality," Martins Matsolo, a traditional leader of Beluluane village, near Mozal plant is reported to have said during an inauguration ceremony last year.
The plant was officially inaugurated by Mozambique President Joaquim Chaissano. The ceremony had attracted Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe, Malawi's Bakili Muluzi, South Africa's Thabo Mbeki and Botswana's Festus Mogae.
