Benga project to yield premium coal: Tata Steel

New Delhi, Jun 10 (UNI) Tata Steel Ltd today said its joint venture coal project with Riversdale Mining in Mozambique will yield premium hard coking and thermal coal, suitable for export along mine mouth power station.

The coal quality progress results for Benga deposits near Tete in Mozambique shows that both hard coking and thermal coal will be of premium quality and make the venture a 'world class project', the company statement said.

It will also give Riversdale an opportunity to be a globally competitive coking coal producer, it added.

The company had entered into a joint venture with Riversdale Mining on November 30 last year, to develop a hard coking and thermal coal project at key coal exploration license held by Riversdale in Mozambique.

Tata Steel said further work is being undertaken to optimise the potential products from the Benga deposit.

''In particular, liberation studies and mining optimisation will be undertaken to assess opportunities to increase coking coal yields and optimise the overall properties of the coal products,'' the statement said.

Tata Steel said the Benga hard coking coal compares better against the premium Bowen Basin coals found in German Creek and are even superior in quality.

As for thermal coal, the steel major said it will be suitable for mine mouth power stations.

The power produced will be used for supplying to the mines and will also find markets in Southern African Power Pool, which is currently experiencing acute power shortages, the company said.

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