Mchenga Coal Mine on course for Rukuru power plant: To reduce load-shedding
Mchenga Coal Mines (MCM) , suppliers of coal products to the local industry, says its plans of establishing Rukuru Power Plant company is progressing well.
Rukuru Power Company which is expected to produce 100 Megawatts of electricity, will be a subsidiary of Mchenga Coal Mine.
Mchenga mining manager Munache Disha was speaking at the mine when a group of journalists paid a visit to the mining industry taking place in the northern region.
Munache said following the application and submission of the feasibility studies, the project future is guaranteed.
He said government has already aproved the application following the successful conclusion and submission of the feasibility study document.
On sustainability of the thermal power company, Munache said , the project will be sustained.
“The good news is that we have coal here ourselves so its very easy for us to manage this project,” he said.
He said the company will be producing 100 Megawatts and will need only 3 Megawatts and will offload the rest to the national grid.
“This will reduce road shedding which the country is currently undergoing,” he said.
Mchenga Coal Mine is own by Coal Products Limited and exports duff, pears and grains Coal from Livingstonia coalfield in Rumphi, which has probable reserves of 25-million tons and proven reserves of 1.5-million tons of coal with an ash content of 17%, a sulphur content of 0.5% and a calorific value of 6.8 kcal/kg.
The mine, which was previously owned and operated by government, was privatised in 1999.
Munache also said the company has opened a new mine at Mwandira which is one of the mining blocks of Mchenga Coal Mine.
He said the new Mwandira mine has a capacity of producing 4,000 Tonnes of Coal per month.
The manager told the journalists that Mchenga, is one of the oldest coal mines, boosts of customers spread throughout Malawi in various industries such as tobacco processing, poultry, beverage, steel and textile.
But Munache was quick to express concern that despite having quality call at Mchenga Coal mine some companies continue to import outside the country.
According to the manager Coal at Mchenga Mine is extracted using Room and Pillar method, which involves the application of underground working variation of Bord and Pillar configurations, a competitive method in ground control measures for stability and safety.
The mine concession area stretches through Rumphi Valley covering 17km in length by 5km width and hosts sub-bituminous coal measures in Karoo sedimentary rocks of Permian age.
The sediments constitute many types and hues of layers of beds of grits, mudstones, siltstones, bones, arkoses and sandstones laid down in varying thicknesses which have undergone intense faulting due to proximity to the Malawi Rift System.
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We of the minerals industry community continue to be proud of Mchenga Coal Mine. A good vision is always sustainable, 30 years and on….. People of the pompo pompo philosophy should realise that the mining industry does not grow to greater heights overnight – it takes many years and patience. No one is going to make billions overnight. Congratulations Mchenga as you expand your future vision.