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Lun 4 Juil 2011 19:17
Maamba Collieries to create 2,500 jobs
By NANCY MWAPE
MAAMBA Collieries Limited (MCL) plans to invest US$750 million in the coal mine and thermal power plant expected to create 2,500 jobs for the locals.
Nava Bharat chief executive officer Ashwin Devineni addressing journalists in Maamba last Friday said US$650 million will be pumped in the 300 megawatts (MW) power plant while the remaining US$100 million will be directed in the revamping operations of the mine.
Mr Devineni said minimal coal mining operations have started at MCL.
Full-scale mining and operations are set to resume in August this year.
He said large-scale operations of extraction and transportation of high-grade coal have been contracted to GRN Constructions (Zambia) Limited which has extensive experience in environment-friendly coal mining.
The mining plan and operations will be supervised and directed by the MCL mining team.
He said GRN have initiated hiring over 100 workers from within Maamba in phase one and will train suitable personnel on the operations and handling of heavy machinery in coal mining.
Phase two of the project will involve development of another 300 MW of thermal power plant expected to gobble about US$650 million.
“We have finalised the detailed layout of the power plant, initially for 300 MW (Phase I) and later for an additional 300 MW (Phase II). Detailed engineering work for Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) of the power plant has been completed,” he said.
Mr Devineni expects large participation of local Zambian companies in non-EPC works, adding that there will also be an amount of offloading of work from the EPC contractor for the power plant, thus inducing local industrial development.
He said MCL has constituted the Maamba Development Trust to manage the non-core assets and activities of MCL like schools and community services such as water reticulation, community sewerage system, recreation facilities and sports.
He said MCL is also funding over K1.8 billion towards the development of the Maamba-Masuku road.
He said the company has committed to spend US$3 per tonne of washed coal sold on corporate social responsibility initiatives in the district.
Mr Devineni said through the infusion of US$36 million in MCL from Nava Bharat (Singapore) Pvt Limited, the company has addressed all the retirement benefits and salary arrears of past and present employees that were outstanding prior to privatisation.
The company implemented a Voluntary Employee Separation Scheme strictly in compliance with labour laws of Zambia under the active guidance of the Ministry of Labour and Social Services.
“MCL has settled all outstanding trade liabilities and is actively addressing those that have been pending before courts. We have undertaken various infrastructure rehabilitation works worth over US$5 million which are being executed by local contractors,” he said.
The company is in its final stages of a detailed environmental impact assessment study covering areas related to coal mining and power plant.
Mr Devineni said MCL has also ordered the latest environment-friendly coal handling and processing plant from EPE, a leading South African company, with a capital commitment of about US$23 million.
And speaking at the same function, MCL board director Essau Nebwe said coal mining and the thermal power plant will revive Maamba and Sinazongwe districts.
Mr Nebwe said Nava Bharat is a firm that embraces environmental concerns and will address some of the environmental issues in the district.