Pole treatent
In the quest to diversify its business in accordance with the Strategic Plan, ZAFFICO operates a Pole Treatment Plant situated on Kalulushi-Sabina Road, 3.5 kilometers from the Kitwe – Chingola junction. ZAFFICO’s Pole Treatment Plant was commissioned by the Republican President on 9th February, 2018.
The poles are treated using two preservatives namely, Tanalith (CCA) and Creosote. The main product line for the plant are the transmission poles and any other poles which can be used for fencing and construction uses.
The Plant is currently in full production with a capacity to treat between 4,000 – 6,000 poles per month.
Wood Preservation
Treating wood with the appropriate preservative increases its service life to
approximately 30 to 40 years on average. It also helps to conserve our trees
against deforestation due to accelerated indiscriminate logging.
ZAFFICO is able to treat different sizes of poles to international standard as certified by the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS). The poles are derived from Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus cloeziana.
The pole size ranges from 1.5m to 20m with the diameter range of 2cm to 5cm as minimum to 17.5cm – 20cm as maximum. However, special orders that are customer tailored are considered.
Fencing Poles
These are pole sizes can be used for fencing and construction of farms,
animal ranches, chicken runs and residences. These sizes range from 1.5m
to 4m. They can also be used for the construction of thatched houses such
as chalets. The diameter ranges are 2cm – 5cm, 6cm – 10cm, 11cm – 15cm
and 16cm -20cm.
Construction Poles
To support the construction industry in Zambia, ZAFFICO PLC produces poles ranging from 5m to 8m. These can be used for the construction of chalets, bridges and other commercial structures like hotels. However, fencing poles may also be used as trusses to hold the roof of sheds and shelters while the bigger sizes are used as standing pillars.
Transmission or Utility Poles
This is another category of poles produced by ZAFFICO PLC which ranges from 9m to 20m. A utility pole is a wooden pole used to support overhead power lines such as cable, fibre optic cable and related equipment among them transformers and street lights.
Utility poles carry electrical cables as a way to keep them insulated from the ground and out of the way of people and vehicles. The 16m to 20m poles are mostly used in the mines to increase the ground clearance for power lines for the huge machinery used. The diameters range from 15cm to 23cm.
Currently, ZAFFICO’s major clients for transmission poles are: ZESCO, ZAMTEL, Rural Electrification Authority (REA), Kansanshi Mine, Kalumbila Mine.