Western Coal Project

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Western Coal Project is a shelved coal mine in Hwange, Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Mine Name Location Coordinates (WGS 84)
Western Coal Project Hwange, Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe -18.3835, 26.47 (approximate)

The map below shows the approximate location of the coal mine:

Loading map...

Project Details

Table 2: Project status

Status Status Detail Project Type Project Phase Opening Year Closing Year
Shelved Construction New Stage 1

Table 3: Operation details

Note: The asterisk (*) signifies that the value is a GEM estimated figure.
Capacity (Mtpa) Production (Mtpa) Year of Production Mine Type Mining Method Mine Size (km2) Mine Depth (m) Workforce Size
3 Surface 60* *

Table 4: Coal resources and destination

Total Reserves (Mt) Year of Total Reserves Recorded Total Resources (Mt) Coalfield Coal Type Coal Grade Primary Consumer/ Destination
90 Hwange Bituminous Thermal Hwange power station

Table 5: Ownership and parent company

Owner Parent Company Headquarters
Western Coal and Energy Company Western Coal and Energy Company [100%] Zimbabwe


Expansion/Extension

Table 6: Project status

* Added capacity of a coal mine refers to the enhancement in the mine's production capabilities beyond its initial production capacity.
Status Status Detail Project Type Project Phase Added Capacity (Mtpa)* Start Year
Shelved Construction Expansion Stage 2

Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker April 2024 release and the September supplement.

Background

The Western Coal Project is a proposed coal mine, owned the Western Coal and Energy Company, to produce 3.6 million tonnes per annum, in Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe.[1] According to Mining Zimbabwe, the company has spent US $20 million on the project and plans to supply the Hwange power station.

After China's pledge to end overseas coal financing, this project has sought other financial backers. The status of the project remains unclear.[2][3]

  • Operator: Western Coal and Energy Company[1]
  • Owner: Billy Rautenbach[1]
  • Location: Hwange, Hwange District, Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe[1]
  • Coordinates: -18.3835, 26.47 (approximate)
  • Status: Shelved
  • Capacity: 3.6 mtpa (150,000 tonnes/month in Phase 1; 300,000 tonnes/month in Phase 2)[1]
  • Type: Surface[1]
  • Projected operation: TBD[1]
  • Coal Type: Bituminous (Thermal)[1]
  • Number of Employees: 200[1]
  • Life of Mine: 25 years[1]
  • Mineable Reserve: approximately 90 million tonnes.[1]
  • Source of financing:

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Hwange Firm Plans to Build Two Power Plants, Mining Zimbabwe, July 17, 2020.
  2. Nelson Banya and Helen Reid,In Zimbabwe, coal power project seeks other backing after China's U-turn, Reuters, March 30, 2022
  3. Florence Tan,Zimbabwe to start operating new coal power unit by March, Reuters, February 23, 2023