COAL DEVELOPMENT: Vale tackles Moatize project in Africa

MOZAMBIQUE — Brazil's Vale is moving forward with its first greenfield development in Africa, the Moatize coal project in the province of Tete. The company says it will invest US$1.3 billion to create an operation with a nominal capacity of 11.0 million t/y. Of the total, 8.5 million t/y will be clean, hard coking coal and 2.5 million t/y will be thermal coal. Life of the project will be at least 35 years.

The wash plant, with a capacity of 26.0 million t/y, will be one of the world's largest. Clean coal will be railed 600 km to a new terminal in the seaport of Beria.

Vale expects the Moatize project will provide 900 direct jobs during production and up to 3,000 jobs during construction. See also www.Vale.com.