Zimbabwe is in the process of becoming one of the biggest exporters of medical oxygen in Africa. This is expected with the increased production at the multi-million-dollar medical oxygen and industrial gas plant built by Verify Engineering at Feruka, close to Mutare.
The nation’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa disclosed this last week after he commissioned three innovation projects at the University of Zimbabwe.
President Mnangagwa explained that the oxygen plant shows that indigenous scientists, technicians and engineers are capable of making significant contributions to the success of the National Development Strategy’s goal of improving the capacity of the country’s industry to meet world standards.
According to him, “When Covid-19 struck, there were many who said Zimbabwe would suffer and people will die. We used to get our oxygen from BOC gases, but when we wanted to buy this medical oxygen, they would say you have to go into the queue to get your order.
“I told those at the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development to assemble some scientists who can help produce this medical oxygen and now they are producing it,” he noted.
He highlighted that as “a country, we consume 150 tonnes of medical oxygen per month and yet our plant produces that 150 tonnes per week. So the other three weeks is surplus.”
The President explained that Zimbabwe has begun offering the surplus of its medical oxygen to Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique at affordable prices.
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Medical oxygen is very crucial for patients suffering from respiratory problems, with such breathing issues rampant during the outbreak Corona Virus, when there was an extremely high demand for oxygen.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, said the Mutare plant could meet the peak national demand for medical oxygen.
“The peak demand of 150 tonnes was determined during the Covid-19 period. Currently, Verify Engineering has been awarded a tender to supply medical oxygen in three provinces in Mozambique and they are building infrastructure to start supplying,” he said.
About Verify Engineering
Established in April 2015, Verify Engineering is a Government-owned private limited company that functions under the Harare Institute of Technology, an institution that is under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education.
The company was made to carry out a plan to turn coal into liquid fuels and chemicals.
With its new mission under the Education 5.0 model, which is in line with the vision of the Ministry, Verify Engineering aims to develop heritage-based science and technology innovations so as to boost industrialization.
Verify Engineering is a vehicle that aims to contribute to the broader national industrialization agenda through the commercialization of technologies and is answering the call of research, innovation, and industrialization.
The businesses being built and commissioned are key to national economic development and self-sufficiency in terms of all liquid fuels, industrial gases, fertilizers, energy, and a wide range of chemicals.
Engineer Pedzisai Tapfumaneyi, chief executive officer of Verify Engineering, stated that the plant was ready to produce 50 tons of medical oxygen per day.
In terms of quality, WHO regulations demand that medical oxygen reach 95 percent purity levels. However, in Zimbabwe, the regulations of the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe set 99.6 percent purity for medical oxygen.
According to Engineer Tapfumaneyi, “We were commissioned in August 2021, but we only began to supply medical oxygen in January 2022 as we were working towards satisfying the regulations of the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe in terms of the purity of our oxygen, which is world class.
“We are currently producing on demand because Zimbabwe only needs 150 metric tons per month, so we can actually produce that within a week.”
He added that “What we are doing now is that we are installing four medical oxygen tanks in Beira, Chimoio, and Tete. “By the end of the first quarter of 2023, we should start supplying pure oxygen to those hospitals.”
Apart from delivering oxygen in hospitals, Verify Engineering is also looking to supply industries in Manica Province and the northern parts of Mozambique with liquid oxygen.
Use of Medical Oxygen in Mining and Manufacturing
Mozambique has a growing mining and manufacturing industry, which is pushing the country’s demand for oxygen.
While most companies are currently importing their oxygen from South Africa, Zimbabwe is a better choice for them as Mutare is closer. Engr. Tapfumaneyi said that liquid oxygen from Mutare was also used a lot in the mining and manufacturing industries in the area thus making Zimbabwe’s liquid oxygen cheaper.
Engr. Tapfumaneyi explained that the local mining and manufacturing industries were also big consumers of liquid oxygen from Mutare.
Verify is capable of producing 16 metric tons of liquid oxygen daily. With the current pace at which uptake by local industries has been increasing, they are expected to reach maximum supply by the middle of next year when capacity can be increased.
Verify also produces acetylene (ethyne) gas for industrial use and about 30 tons of gaseous oxygen, which is used by all non-bulk users.
“The major raw materials needed in infrastructure development are steel, liquid oxygen, and acetylene gas.” In the past, the country only had one supplier, which resulted in increasing prices.
“Now that we are a competitor, prices have stabilised, and this will contribute to infrastructure development in terms of metal fabrication,” Eng Tapfumaneyi said.
“In the case of medical oxygen, we have added to what was already being made by other companies and made sure that the country doesn’t need to import any more but can do it on its own,” he said.