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President Hakainde Hichilema has commissioned the Urea Plant and 85-megawatt (MW) Power Generation Plant for United Capital Fertilizer, describing the development as a landmark achievement in Zambia’s journey toward industrialisation and agricultural self-sufficiency.
President Hichilema said the Urea Plant, which will produce 300,000 tonnes of fertilizer annually, is expected to significantly reduce import dependency while boosting local production and regional food security.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony in Lusaka West on Thursday, President Hichilema said the state-of-the-art facility marked a major step toward making Zambia a regional fertilizer manufacturing hub.
“This great milestone supports Zambia’s ambition to become a regional fertilizer manufacturing hub upon reaching self-sufficiency. The plant has created over 3,000 direct jobs which is a plus to our economic agenda,” he said.
He added that the facility incorporated modern technology designed to minimise emissions, reduce waste, and promote recycling.
President Hichilema further noted that the integrated 85MW Power Plant would supply surplus electricity to the national grid, contributing to the country’s energy security.
“It’s also gratifying to note that the integrated 85MW Power Plant will supply surplus power to the national grid, resulting in energy security. We further witnessed the signing ceremony for the $1.4 billion Urea Phase 2 Project,” he said.
The Head of State also witnessed the signing of the US$1.4 billion Phase 2 expansion project, which will further scale up fertilizer production and power generation capacity.
He thanked the board, management, and staff of United Capital Fertilizer for advancing Zambia’s fertilizer industry and contributing to national and regional food security.
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Wonderful Group of Companies Limited Chief Executive Officer, Huang Yaochi, commended the government for its consistent and investor-friendly policies, which he said had been instrumental in attracting large-scale private sector investment.
He further announced that the Wonderful Group was launching a US$5 billion Industrial Park investment, to be implemented over the next seven years and expected to create more than 25,000 direct jobs.
“The Industrial Park will include expanded production of 500,000 metric tonnes of Ammonia, 800,000 metric tonnes of Urea, and 300 megawatts of power, positioning Zambia as a hub of manufacturing excellence, employment, and skills development,” Huang said.
He also acknowledged the crucial role of local financial institutions in the success of the Urea Plant project, singling out ABSA Bank Zambia Plc for financing the Urea Plant and ZANACO Plc for supporting the earlier NPK Fertilizer Plant.
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), United Capital Fertilizer Manufacturing Company announced plans to construct a K35 million secondary school in the surrounding community, with additional support to the health sector planned for the near future.
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