This article is 12 years old. Images might not display.
The record noted by African news aggregate AllAfrica comes despite a serious logistical bottleneck where the only way to transport coal to the sea is along the 575km Sena railway.
“Moatize is strategically positioned to provide high quality coal”, Vale-Mozambique director of operations Paulo Horta was quoted as saying, however, indicating also that the new record “reaffirms the success of the Moatize coal project, showing the operational capacity of a young team, trained and motivated to achieve increasingly significant results”
Exports from the mine began in August 2011 and are expected to reach 11 million tonnes of coal per annum in the first phase of production.
Second phase production to begin next year is projected to double output to 22Mtpa.
AllAfrica cites Vale’s plan to build a new railway across southern Malawi and a new coal terminal at Nacala-a-Velha as a possible solution to the mine’s shipping challenges.
Vale says the 912km Moatize-Nacala rout will be able to handle 18Mtpa of coal.
