UK-based Edenville Energy has started trial mining at the Rukwa Coal Project near Sumbawanga in western Tanzania.
The company claimed that multiple firms have expressed their interest to procure coal from this project on a long-term basis. This interest encouraged Edenville Energy to conduct trial shipments of run of mine (RoM).
The trial mining will help determine important logistical, quality and quantity parameters with the commercial rates of the recovered coal.
Concurrently, the company is also developing an integrated coal to power project in south western Tanzania.
Edenville Energy CEO Rufus Short said: “I am very pleased we have been able to reach the stage where we are confident there is a long-term market for the coal from Rukwa.
“Our goal is to move our asset into generating positive cash-flow in the near-term and to become a key supplier of coal in the East Africa region. Production will take place alongside the continued advancement of the planned coal to power project.”
Edenville Energy has also decided to advance the project focusing to acquire a coal processing facility and starting commercial mining operations.
It has planned to start initial mining from the first quarter of this year.
The company also intends to construct a suitable coal wash plant at the site. This wash plant facility will be engineered accordingly to suffice requirements of coal processing for the planned power plant.
Edenville will deliver some coal to the buyers unprocessed. However, it plans to treat majority of the production through the wash plant to optimise the product for customers.
