Coalfields and Coal Resources in Tanzania

COALFIELDS AND COAL RESOURCES IN TANZANIA

INTRODUCTION

Coal is the combustible black or dark-brown rock consisting mainly of carbonized plant matter. Coal is mainly found in underground deposits and widely used as a source of energy due to its high energy content. Coal is composed of 65-95% carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen and nitrogen among other constituents.

 Coal reserves in Tanzania are estimated at 5 billion tonnes, 25% of which are proven, according to the Tanzania Minerals Audit Agency (TMAA).

COALFIELLDS

1. Kiwira coalfield
2. Ngaka coalfield
3. Rukwa coalfields

• Mkomolo coalfield
• Namwele coalfield
• Muze coalfield

      4.   Katewaka – Mchuchuma coalfield

ACTIVE COALFIELDS

1. KIWIRA COALFIELD

• Kiwira coalfield is located within Ileje district in Mbeya region.
• The Kiwira coal and power company owns the license to mine at the lower Ivogo Ridge.
• The company is wholly owned by the State Mining Corporation (STAMICO) which is 100% owned by the government of Tanzania.
• It has an estimated value of 35 million tonnes of coal reserves.
• It roughly produces 150,000 tonnes of coal annually.
• Coal is mined by open-cast method.

1. NGAKA COALFIELD

• It is located in South-Western Tanzania, Ruvuma region.
• It comprises the Mbalawala sub-basin, the Ngaka Central basin and the Mbuyura-Mkapa sub-basin to the north.
• Work in the Mbalawala basin is the most advanced.
• It is operated by Tancoal energy, which is a joint venture between the National Development Corporation of Tanzania (NDC) and Intra Energy Tanzania Limited (IETL).
• It is the largest active coalfield in the country
• It has an estimated coal reserve of 212 million tonnes.
• It roughly produces 250000 tonnes annually (Mwakyusa, 2016).

PROPOSED COAL PROJECTS

1. RUKWA COALFIELDS

• They are located in Rukwa, a south – western region of Tanzania.
• The coal operations are under Edenville Energy.
• They include the following;

1. Mkomolo coalfield
2. Namwele coalfield
3. Muze coalfield

• Mkomolo and Namwele lie 25 Km by road to the North-east of Sumbawanga.
• Muze is located near to the show of Lake Rukwa.
• Rukwa coalfields have an estimated coal reserve of 57.5 million tonnes with an indicated calorific value of 17.42 kCal/kg.
• Lake Rukwa is the main source of water for the coalfields.

1. Katewaka – Mchuchuma coalfield

•  The coalfield is located in the Ruhuhu basin, in South Tanzania near Makete, off the northern tip of Lake Nyasa.
• It has a rough estimate of 550 million carats of coal.
• This is the largest coal reserves in the country.

REFERENCE

1. www.tanzaniainvest.com>coal
2. www.sorcewatch.org>index.php>Tanzania
3. https://en.m.wikipedia.org>wiki>coal
4. Mwakyusa, Alvar (2016-07-08). “Tanzania Govt up to Restore Stamico Lost Glory” Tanzania Daily News (Dar es salaam) Retrieved 2017-01-21.

PARTICIPANTS

1. GEOFFREY MACHELE                2015-04-03235
2. EVANCE MDUDA                        2015-04-03237
3. STELLA KOMBA                        2015-04-03232
4. SAIDI        HADIJA                        2015-04-07187
5. IRENE ARCARD                        2015-04-03226