JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Tanzania’s National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) has approved dual-listed Kibo Mining’s Mbeya coal mine and power plant’s environmental- and social-impact assessment (Esia) scoping reports.
This concludes the second stage of the three required during the statutory Esia approval process and paves the way for final Esia certification of the 350 MW Mbeya coal-to-power project (MCPP).
CEO Louis Coetzee noted that the approval and acceptance of the MCPP Esia scoping reports represented a critical point in the overall approval process.
“At this stage, the majority of the Esia work, such as specific terms of reference, required specialist studies, as well as consultation, have been completed, submitted and accepted by the NEMC as compliant for certification.
“We expect the third stage – the certification process – to be completed in a shorter timeframe than usual, given that the preparation work for an accelerated conclusion of stage three was done while awaiting approval of the scoping reports,” he said.
Receipt of the scoping report approvals from the NEMC follows a week of "broad and productive consultation" with various Tanzanian government departments regarding the further development of the MCPP.
These discussions confirmed continued support for the MCPP as a strategic energy and development project, while confirming that the recent and still ongoing policy changes and restructuring, will have significant long-term benefits for projects such as the MCPP.