By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA –
ZALCO Limited, producers of assorted cooking utensils, has commissioned the first solar battery manufacturing plant in Zambia with an investment of US$1.5 million.
The manufacturing plant, which has been set up in Kabwe, has created more than 100 job opportunities for the locals.
Company head of finance and administration Chrisain Tembo said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the company is currently producing between 3,000 and 4,000 solar batteries per month and that. it has the capacity to produce up to 10,000 solar batteries per month.
The batteries are being marketed under the brand name Solarmax and head of sales and marketing William Creans said the company prides itself as a guru of value addition as evidenced by a range of products being manufactured by the firm.
“We are into value addition and if you look at our products, we are manufacturing starting with the copper cables, pots and now the solarmax batteries and you will discover that we are working around environmental sustainability,” Mr Creans said.
He explained that Zalco had put Solarmax on a pilot project as from December last year and that, the company was now in full production.
“We did a pilot project on the Solarmax batteries from December last year and we are now in full production,” Mr Creans said.
He explained that, the solar batteries would help to meet the electrification needs of the rural community.
Mr Creans said Solarmax batteries were the first to be manufactured by a Zambian company.
Zalco is targetting to flood the market with Solarmax batteries, especially in the rural community and also penetrate regional markets such as Malawi.
“Our products are affordable to the ordinary Zambians and we have identified a gap in the market with regard to solar batteries, hence our investment in the solar battery manufacturing plant,” Mr Creans said.
He said the solar batteries would help to resolve and contribute to the enhancement of electrification needs of the country, especially in the rural community.
