JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – African coal explorer Edenville Energy’s Tanzanian entity, Edenville International Tanzania, has been awarded an environmental-impact assessment (EIA) certificate approving the start of coal mining at the Namwele and Mkomolo coal deposits, near Lake Rukwa.

The EIA certificate would remain valid for the entire life cycle of the Rukwa coal-to-power project.

The issuance of the certificate followed extensive field studies and analysis in 2012 and 2013, as well as the completion of reviews and site visits by Tanzanian authorities.

Commenting on the announcement, Edenville CEO Rufus Short said the EIA was a critical milestone in the development of the Rukwa coal-to-power project.

“It is a key deliverable for Edenville and provides the cornerstone from which to move forward with the coal mine development plan. It gives confidence to our current and potential partners in the power plant development that an accessible source of fuel will be available, significantly derisking the overall coal-to-power project,” he noted.

Short added that the next step towards mining would include the completion of a feasibility study and the subsequent conversion of current prospecting licences and primary mining licences into full mining licences.

Further environmental studies and approvals would be required as part of the development process for a power plant. 

“This is normal procedure for an industrial complex in any country and, as the power development options progress, the Edenville group will work alongside its partners to achieve these goals,” he commented.

While the Rukwa project would remain the group’s focus, Short added that the EIA approval also provided it the option to proceed towards a standalone coal mine development. 

“We will continue to assess this and other options to achieve the best outcomes for our shareholders and the people of Tanzania and to ensure the project is developed in the most appropriate and viable manner,” he asserted.

The proposed coal-to-power project would see the development of a 100 MW power station that would supply electricity to the Tanzanian power grid. The country was aiming to increase its installed power generation capacity from 1 438 MW to 2 780 MW by 2015.