Mozambique plans to produce chlorine

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Mozambique plans to produce chlorine

5:13 CAT | 28 Jul 2018

File photo: Folha de Maputo

The Mozambican Association of Chemical Engineers (AMEQ) has revealed plans to produce chlorine locally to meet the demands of the national market.

Speaking at a workshop run by his association in Maputo on Wednesday, the president of AMEQ, Antonio Dança explained that this will reduce the country’s reliance on imports and create jobs and business opportunities.

Chlorine is a chemical used for purifying water, disinfecting swimming pools, and manufacturing various products in the textile and other industries.

According to the daily newspaper “O Pais”, the country currently spends 350,000 US dollars a year on importing chlorine. However, Dança stated that this could be produced locally for just 75,000 dollars. He added that local production would also make the chemical available at a cheaper price and lead to more job opportunities.

MoÃ§ambique vai produzir cloro para reduzir custos de importaÃ§Ã£o — *President of AMEQ, Antonio Dança. Photo: O País*

The director of production at the Maputo Regional Water Company (AdeM), Gildo Timoteo, told the workshop that AdeM uses about 750 kilograms of chlorine per day. However, this is dependent on the season and the water quality. Thus, the amount used can rise to between two and four kilograms per day during the rainy season.

Timoteo revealed that most of the chlorine gas AdeM uses is imported from South Africa. He said AdeM is looking very favourably at the initiative to produce chlorine locally as it offers many advantages. In particular, the company is currently spending a large amount on chlorine, whose price fluctuates with the exchange rate. Another issue is that AdeM needs to purchase between three and six months of stock due to the time required for importing the chemical.

Taking part in the workshop were chemical engineers, students, and representatives of the public and private sector.

Source: AIM