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Business Reporter
A COAL and methane gas mining company, China Africa Sunlight Energy, has completed exploration activities in the Gwayi area of Matabeleland North province. The firm’s general manager, Retired Colonel Charles Mugari, told Business Chronicle yesterday that exploration work was completed this month with results indicating that there were enough coal and methane gas deposits for commercial exploitation.

“We have concluded the exploration work with results showing that there are enough coal and methane deposits.

“We have also done an Environmental Impact Assessment and we hope to get certification from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) within the next few months,” he said.

The company, which is a joint venture between Old Stone Investments of Zimbabwe and Shandong Taishan Sunlight, a Chinese conglomerate, intends to establish a colliery in the Gwayi area and a 400 megawatt thermal power station.

Operations by China Africa Sunlight Energy were expected to start soon.

“Construction of the mine is expected to start once we get certification from EMA,” said Rtd Col Mugari.

The firm recently secured water rights from the Ministry of Water Resources and Development and a 400MW power generation licence from the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority.

The power that will be generated by the company will be fed into the national electricity.

It is hoped that China Africa Sunlight Energy will start power generation by  2015.

Of late, concerns have been expressed by a number of stakeholders that coal mining operations in the  area could negatively affect the construction of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam meant to supply water to Bulawayo.

Bulawayo faces perennial water challenges and the Gwayi-Shangani Dam project has been touted as a critical investment that will go a long way to address water crisis in the city.

China Africa Sunlight Energy has engaged different stakeholders to provide clarity on the operations of the $2,1 billion project that covers coal mining, methane gas extraction and power generation.