Geologist urges govtto boost coal industry
Geologist Grain Malunga has urged the Malawi government to invest in coal exploration and mining to substitute imports, saying the country sits on huge reserves of the mineral resource.
He said in an interview yesterday that there is need to capacitate the Geological Survey Department in Zomba to engage in aggressive coal exploration in the country.
Malunga, who works as a mining consultant for some major mining firms, decried that government has left exploration works to the private sector, which is interested in high-value minerals.
He said: “Our coal mining is on small-scale and the technology is not up-to-date. The problem is that one cannot invest in expensive technology without knowing the quantities.
“We need to evaluate how much coal is available in the country.”
The Malawi Government Annual Economic Report 2024 shows the country has an estimated 22 million metric tonnes (MT) of coal reserves and in 2022, the firms mined 62 000MT, which is more than double the previous year’s output.
Ministry of Mining Principal Secretary Joseph Mkandawire said in interview yesterday that there is steady growth of coal production as the market demand grows.
He said: “If you look at Kanengo [in Lilongwe], the whole broilers there are run on our coal and that is progress. Perhaps what we need to look at is for the companies that should export.”
According to the Global Economy website, Malawi’s average coal imports between 1980 and 2022 was recorded at 25 000MT.
However, Malunga acknowledges that coal imports are necessitated by the quality demanded by some industry players, adding that local quality is compromised by the mining technologies and processes.
“If you look at our coal, it is used straight from the mine. The coal from Mozambique is mined and washed and that gives it high energy value which is demanded by some industries,” he said.
He further said there is a cost factor as coal mining is concentrated in the Northern Region and that makes coal from Moatize in Mozambique cheaper for the industries in the Southern Region.
Meanwhile, Malunga has said for the coal industry to grow, there is need for government policy direction that is supportive to develop capacity and create demand, citing the development of a coal-fired power plant.
According to the Malawi Government Annual Economic Report 2024, recovery of the economy from the Covid-19 pandemic led to recovery of most industrial activities which increased demand.
“Additionally, some companies increased production by optimising their operations with improved equipment and processes to meet rising demand during the period,” reads the report.
According to the Ministry of Mining, there is also significant growth in the mining of rock aggregates following increased construction works, especially road infrastructure.
The country’s mining sector is still small, accounting for about one percent of the gross domestic product, but government is targeting to drive up the contribution to 20 percent by 2030.
