News / Nationalby Staff reporterHwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) is set to ignite its newly refurbished US$8 million coke oven battery on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in the company's industrial turnaround strategy. The launch coincides with a US$60 million investment into a major underground coal mining project, signalling a bold push towards value addition in Zimbabwe's coal sector.The coke oven battery, the largest in the country, represents a strategic shift from selling raw coking coal to producing high-value coke, a critical input for steel manufacturing. "There used to be a coke oven battery here, but it reached the end of its life. Now, Hwange will channel some of its coking coal to the battery, enhancing revenue, profitability, and promoting value addition," Minister Chitando said, highlighting the project's cost-effective implementation. He confirmed the battery would be fired up on October 1, with production expected by year-end.The underground mining initiative is designed to support the coke oven battery and expand coal output significantly.