Name of the Project
Ncondezi coal-to-power project.

Location
The 38 700 ha Ncondezi licence area is located in Mozambique's coal-bearing Tete province, one of the largest undeveloped coal mining regions in the world.

Client
Ncondezi Power Company (NPC).

Project Description
Ncondezi's Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant coal resource amounts to 4.7-billion tons, permitting a large and long operation. The Phase 1 power plant will use Mozambique’s present transmission network, reinforced, to carry its output to consumers. Only about 20% of the country is currently electrified and the acceleration and expansion of electrification have become government policy.

The Ncondezi mine forms part of the integrated thermal coal mine and power plant project near Tete. The power station is expected to initially produce 300 MW, of which 60 MW will be used to operate the power plant, and 240 MW will be supplied to the northern electricity grid for use by consumers across Tete.

Being built in phases, the power plant project has been designed to be scalable up to a planned maximum capacity of 1 800 MW.

The Ncondezi mine will be the base for the project, and the power plant will be located on the mining concession. The mine will be able to supply 1.1-million tons of coal a year, with an energy-producing capacity of 18.66 MJ/kg for 25 years.

The openpit mine will be 2 km away from the power plant and will have a lifetime capacity of 4.8-billion tons of coal. The coal from the mine – still at a lower quality than export-grade thermal coal – will have to be processed to achieve the desired grade of 18.66 MJ/kg before it can be used by the Ncondezi power plant.

Ncondezi Energy will consider exporting coal when the price of seabourne coal and access to rail and port infrastructure improve in the future.

Further, some of the other lower-quality coal from the surrounding mines in Tete might also be used to bolster the power station’s coal supply.

Potential Job Creation
During the construction of the Ncondezi power plant and mine, an estimated 2 000 jobs will be created. Once construction of the mine is completed, it will provide 50 permanent jobs, while the power plant will provide more than 200 permanent positions.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Value
The estimated cost of the power plant is $1-billion and that of the mine between $60-million and $80-million.

Duration
Construction of the mine and power plant will start simultaneously, with the power plant estimated to take three years to complete and the coal mine two years. Once the mine starts operations, it will accumulate a stockpile of coal for the power station to use once it has been completed.

Latest Developments
Ncondezi Energy has raised £950 000, before expenses, through a conditional placing of 15.2-million ordinary shares at a price of 6.25p apiece.

The company will use the funds to strengthen its balance sheet as it progresses towards the conclusion of a joint development agreement (JDA) for its 300 MW power plant and coal mine project.

The proceeds of the placing, together with existing cash resources of $280 000, will cover nonproject corporate costs until the end of June 2019, subject to a shareholder loan being extended or restructured.

The shareholder loan matures on September 2, with the company currently evaluating options to extend or restructure the loan.

Meanwhile, preliminary results from a review of updated proposals for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), and operations and maintenance (O&M) contracts for Ncondezi Energy’s integrated 300 MW power and coal mine project are positive.

Although the review is still at an early stage, the preliminary results allude to the potential for the presentation of a more competitive tariff to the Mozambique government and the utility for approval.

Ncondezi is working to conclude a binding JDA for the project and, in April, received the updated EPC and O&M contracts for review in house.

Ncondezi states that the positive results continue to indicate the viability of the project and confirm economics, such as that there is the potential to deliver a more competitive power tariff to State-owned power utility Electricidade de Mocambique and the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy for approval.

The submission date of the financial model to these authorities is scheduled for June to seek in-principle support for a new power tariff envelope, which is the company’s main priority.

Should support be received for the new tariff envelope, Ncondezi believes it will be well positioned to close out the JDA process and move the project to financial close.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
KPMG (mine feasibility study), Impacto and Environmental Resources Management Southern Africa (environmental- and social-impact assessment) and the Mineral Corporation (geological consultant).

On Budget and on Time?
Too early to state.

Contact Details for Project Information
NPC corporate development manager Hanno Pengilly, tel +44 20 7183 5402 or email info@ncondezicoal.com.