Published: 22 October 2013

CHINA Africa Sunlight Energy Limited is awaiting certification from Environmental Management Agency to start coal mining in Gwayi early next year.

The company, a joint venture between Old Stone Investments Ltd of Zimbabwe and Shandong Taishan Sunlight of China intends to invest US$2,1 billion in developing an underground coal mine and building a 2 100 megawatt plant by 2016. The power that will be generated by the company will be fed into the national grid. About 4 500 jobs are expected to be created.

"We are now waiting for certification from EMA and once we get it, we will move on the ground early next year," the company's general manager Mr Charles Mugari said.

"The drilling will take up about 15 months and the actual mining will start by June 2015." The US$2,1 billion investment could be the largest single in the country. Apart from the coal mines and power plant, China Africa Sunlight Energy Ltd also intends to set up a brick making factory, a coke oven battery which produces coke, used in steel smelters.

The construction of the power plant would ease the country's power deficit. Zimbabwe's available capacity of electricity is 1 200 MW, against demand 2 200 MW.

Zimbabwe is targeting an average gross domestic product growth of 7,3 percent up to 2018 and the availability of power is critical if such growth levels are to be achieved.
- herald

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