Mozambique Mining: Vale Moatize coal mine produces 10M/t of coal between January-October

Vale Moçambique from January to October of this year has extracted about 10 million tonnes of coal from its mine in Moatize, in Mozambique’s Tete province, almost doubling the amount of 5.9 million tonnes extracted in the same period of 2016, said the subsidiary of Brazilian group Vale.

Rogério Sendela, one of the directors of Vale Moçambique, told Mozambican journalists that the target for this year was a total of 13 million tonnes of metallurgical and thermal coal, which is an increase of 120% compared to the quantity extracted in 2016.

Sendela said he was confident about reaching the goal, explaining that the “large” increase in production from one year to another was due to the company having, since the end of 2016, a second processing unit, coupled with the entry into operation of a twin-track railway line with capacity and operational safety levels well above that used since the start of operations.

Mozambican daily newspaper Noticias reported that the entry into operation of the Northern Logistics Corridor (CLN), which includes a twin-track railway line connecting Moatize to the port of Nacala Moatize, passing through Malawi, Vale is no longer solely reliant on the Sena Line, which connects the coal region of Tete to the port of Beira.

The twin-track railway line of the CLN has capacity to carry 18 million tonnes of cargo per year, while the Sena line allows Vale Moçambique to transport just 6 million tonnes.

Currently, five trains with 120 wagons full of coal depart from Moatize to Nacala every day, a journey that takes about 30 hours, with each train carrying 7,560 tonnes of coal, which is exported to India, Japan and Brazil, as well as to other markets. (source: Macauhub)