Zimbabwe allows miners to export coal due to low consumption by Hwange Thermal

Zimbabwe has removed a ban on coal exports for three months owing to low demand by Hwange Thermal power plant, which suffers frequent breakdowns, according to the Coal Producers Association.

Apparently, coal mining companies plan to export within the SADC and overseas depending on port availability and other logistics, the industry lobby’s chairman, Linos Masimura, told Zimbabwe Economic Review.

He said it is the first time the government has allowed for exports of thermal coal.

“We were producing 250,000 tons a month, but Hwange Thermal is now taking less & less coal,” he said. “They are not able to burn at the rate of supply and they are now burning on certain days, so we now have a backlog.”

Hwange in western Zimbabwe has installed capacity of 920 megawatts, but is currently producing 420 megawatts.

Zimbabwe Power Co., which owns the plant, is expanding by an extra 600 megawatts.

Zwnews