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Zambia coal production up by 21.9 percent in 2016

Xinhua, February 18, 2017 Adjust font size:

Zambia recorded an increase in coal production in 2016 compared to the previous year, the ministry of mines said on Friday.

The southern African nation saw coal production increasing to 126,050 tonnes in 2016 from 103,439 tons in 2015, representing a 21.9 percent increase, according to figures released by the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development.

The increase was due to the reopening of a coal mine, Column Coal Mine, in southern Zambia's Sinazongwe district, which commenced operations in August 2015 after being placed on care and maintenance in 2013, Ministry Permanent Secretary Paul Chanda said in a statement.

The ministry has since projected a bright future for coal mining in the country as demand for the commodity was expected to increase once a thermal power plant being constructed by the country's main coal producer, Maamba becomes fully operational.

The country also saw an increase in copper production to 770,588 tonnes last year from 710,860 in 2015, representing an 8.4-percent increase. Endit