https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Patel welcomes reopening of Highveld Steel plant

7th June 2017

By: Anine Kilian

Contributing Editor Online

     

Font size: - +

Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel has welcomed the reopening of the Highveld Steel plant, in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga.

The plant, which was officially reopened on Tuesday, employs 200 workers in direct production and a further 300 workers on site.

The company, which closed in 2015, has restarted production of structural steel products in partnership with business and government.

The relaunch of the plant comes a few days after government announced a new R1.5-billion steel competitiveness fund, further boosting confidence in the industry.

“The reopening of the Highveld Steel plant is an example of what can be done with focus and partnerships. When the plant was closed two years ago, government worked with industry to find solutions [to] restart operations,” Patel said.

He added that steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa, which supplies primary material to the Highveld mill, saw the opening as an opportunity to provide input for the production of structural steel products and railway lines.

“This means we can now replace products that are currently imported and there may be further opportunities on the rest of the continent to export these products,” Patel noted.

Highveld and its partners are transforming the old steel mill complex into a new multipurpose industrial hub, comprising a steelworks, a coal storage depot for junior miners, a maintenance service centre for dumpster-trucks and a training centre that can address skills needs in the area.

“Steel is the foundation of any industrialisation plan and we have to retain and support our capability and industrial capacity at a time when global markets are still facing a supply glut.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Comments

Showroom

Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East

Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Aqs image
AQS Liquid Transfer

AxFlow AQS Liquid Transfer (Pty) Ltd is an Importer and Distributor of Pumps in Southern Africa

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.089 0.143s - 157pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now