Published: 20 March 2014

Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) subsidiary and cooking oil manufacturer Surface Investments this year plans to spend $2,5 million on purchasing a new bottling line as part of moves to boost production, an official said on Wednesday.

Surface Investments chief executive officer, Sylvester Mangani told New Ziana plans to install the new plant were shelved last year due to shortages of cotton seed and soya beans on the market.

"We are going to do more development at the bottling line. You saw that it is not automated so we want to bring more machines there," he said.

"That is an extra $2 million to $2, 5 million for this year. It should come between now and the end of the year and we buy mainly from India, China, that is where the equipment will be coming from."

The company is currently involved in a $2 million renovation at its Chitungwiza plant to improve efficiencies including saving coal consumption by 30 percent.

Going forward, the company plans to install a new refinery within the next two years to triple production from the current three million litres a month.

The new multi-purpose refinery will have capacity of 250 tonnes per day.

Surface Investments is the largest multi-oilseed processing plant in the country in terms of capacity.

The company also exports crude oil to Malawi as well as cotton linters and hulls to South Africa and Europe.

Surface Investments is a joint venture between the IDC with 26 percent and an Indian firm, Midex Global which holds 74 percent.

- New Ziana