Tanzania: Tancoal Casting Eye On Big Export Drive

By Abela Msikula

THE Tancoal Energy Limited Company is looking forward to export 40,000 tonnes of coal to the

Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, any time after the countries declare that the coronavirus threat has vanished.

The expected minimum amount of the foreign currency to Tanzania is not less than 500,000 US dollars per month.

The company's Head of Sales and Marketing, Mr Jimmy Mtemi, said yesterday during the on-going 44th Dar Es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) exhibitions that the company is determined to promote coal business in and outside the country.

He said that having attained the markets in those two countries, the company's mining site in Mbinga District in Ruvuma Region will expand its extraction, from the current 40,000 to 60,000 tonnes to between 80,000 and 90,000 tonnes a month.

"DR Congo and Zambia want our coal to feed their cement and copper production industries. We used to export nearly 25,000 tones to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.

The amount for exportation has increased, the situation that encourages us to boost our extraction activities," he said.

He added that the company's Ngaka mining site had enough raw materials to serve both domestic and foreign customers, especially after the fifth phase government cleared trading barriers at the borders.

He said the presence of such mining centre, which operates under the joint venture of the National Development Corporation (NDC) with 30 per cent of the share and the Australian-based Intra Energy (Tanzania) limited with 70 per cent, records a number of benefits to Tanzanians, including availability of employment opportunities.

Over 200 Tanzanians have been employed so far in various departments of the mine. They are also benefiting from training as part of capacity building to enable them play multipurpose roles in more than one department.

"We have also been empowering Mbalawala Women Group members in terms of producing coal for domestic consumption.

Apart from economic benefits to the group, empowerment also plays an environmental conservation role as availability of domestic coal reduces the speed of cutting trees in the area," he said.