JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed Edenville Energy on Tuesday reported that it has made “good progress” in discussions with potential development partners for its Rukwa coal-to-power-project, near Sumbawanga, in south-western Tanzania.
It noted that cost analyses had been received from several engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) groups, with details of key modules including the boiler, turbine and generator and the balance-of-plant components.
Further refinement of costs was expected as work continues, while additional visits to Tanzania by potential partners were expected and continuing technical and commercial analysis by the groups concerned were being undertaken in conjunction with the Edenville team.
Edenville also continued talks with banks for the provision of debt finance for the project, as financiers often worked alongside EPC groups to ensure adequate project finance was available when needed throughout the project build.
“We are pursuing an integrated approach to project development, with the potential EPC partners and financial institutions involved being progressed in parallel at this stage, working alongside the Tanzanian government to execute a power system master plan,” the company said in a statement.
The master plan entailed transmission line expansion and upgrade work, along with the selection of the most suitable power generation solution for each region.
“During the fourth quarter, when all interested parties will have concluded meetings and put forward formal proposals, we expect our discussions to reach a point where a structured, multiparty plan can allow the project to progress to the stage where advanced discussions on timing for project development can be entered into with the Tanzanian authorities,” Edenville CEO Rufus Short commented.