News

Ethiopia plans to develop coal sector

Reuters reported that Ethiopia plans to develop its vast coal reserves in the west of the country for fertilizer and power generation, at an estimated cost of USD 730 million.

Mr Girma Birru trade and industry minister of Ethiopia said that his ministry had signed an agreement with state owned China National Complete Plant Import & Export Corporation to develop the coal reserve.

No other details were given of the accord. The firm had earlier conducted a feasibility study of the project.

Ethiopia imports up to 400,000 tonnes of fertilizer annually but the escalating international price of urea, used in the manufacture of fertilizer is becoming prohibitive for the government.

He told reporters that “The study indicated that the reserve has a potential to produce between 300,000 tonnes of urea, 20,000 tonnes of methanol and 90 megawatts of electric power.”

An environmental assessment study is also being conducted in the thickly forested Yayu region, some 500 kilometers west of Addis Ababa. (steelguru.com)