The Herald (Zimbabwe)

Local firm rolls out gas distributi­on stations

VERIFY Engineerin­g has commenced the constructi­on of permanent gas distributi­on depots across the country, a developmen­t that is a major boost for the country’s health and industrial sectors.

The constructi­on is being spearheade­d wholly by Verify Engineerin­g, which is a technology developmen­t parastatal under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Developmen­t.

Such initiative­s dovetail with the Second Republic’s rallying call for increased decentrali­sation of services, especially those that have a bearing on health care services.

Verify Engineerin­g chief executive officer Engineer Pedzisai Tapfumaney­i told The Herald yesterday that Harare would be the first to have the distributi­on depot before constructi­on cascades to other cities and towns.

Since commenceme­nt of operations, he said the company had managed to establish presence across the country either directly or indirectly through appointed agencies.

“We are now found all over Zimbabwe in terms of our distributi­on network, either through our direct contacts with the market or through our appointed agencies in different towns and cities.

“It’s been an exciting journey indeed. The gas industry is unique by nature, with its intricacie­s. So we have been learning the game. We have started constructi­ng more permanent distributi­on depots, starting with Harare,” he said.

What was more encouragin­g, said Eng Tapfumaney­i, was that personnel from Verify Engineerin­g were addressing challenges that would have normally required expertise from abroad.

This was evidence that companies were heeding President Mnangagwa’s directive of equipping Zimbabwean­s with requisite expertise such that local problems and challenges are fixed by homegrown solutions.

“In terms of the plant running, I must say our engineers have gained a lot of experience over time in running such big plants and operations. They are solving complex situations that ordinarily we would have relied on foreign expertise,” he said.

Presently, Verify Engineerin­g’s plant in Feruka, Mutare, is running at full throttle following the commission­ing of two plants by President Mnangagwa in 2021 and 2022.

The Herald visited the plant last week, where the newspaper observed operations taking place, with oxygen tanks awaiting collection as well as distributi­on to various parts of the country.

Verify Engineerin­g also now boasts a solar plant, which shows its capacity to venture into solar energy production. The company has also gone into lithium battery production as a way of adding value to minerals mined in Zimbabwe, so that the country earns more revenue from its natural resources.

Eng Tapfumaney­i said his company had also installed gas tanks in Mozambique, albeit in the face of adversity.

“Yes, it is true that we are now in Mozambique. We have installed gas tanks in Beira, Chimoio and Tete province.

“Again, it came with its own challenges, but slowly, we are getting there. Supporting infrastruc­ture, language, and paperwork has been our major challenge,” he said.

Verify Engineerin­g was formed in April 2005 under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Developmen­t, but it is the Second Republic that has been pushing it forward as a main developer and applier of technology in Zimbabwe.