Tanzania: Mtwara Corridor

[John Ashworth]

SOUTHERN TANZANIA’S MTWARA CORRIDOR

Railways Africa On September 26, 2011 In Tanzania

The Tanzanian government is seeking infrastructure partners to develop rail, road and port facilities as part of the Mtwara Development Corridor in the south of the country. The proposed new railway will pass within 20km of the Uranex Songea Coal Project where a 3,000 metre drilling programme is to start shortly. The company expects to complete drilling during the fourth quarter of 2011. Recently the Tanzanian government signed a $US3 billion mining and infrastructure deal with China’s Sichuan Hongda. The deal is designed to develop the Mchuchuma Coalfield in the Ruhuhu Basin, adjacent to the Songea Coal Project (which covers 3,500 square kilometres), and to establish the funding required to develop the basin for both domestic and Asian export markets. The Ruhuhu Basin is known for large tonnages of high quality thermal coal including three substantial coalfields, Ketewaka, Mchuchuma and Ngaka, with published resources exceeding 1 billion tonnes.