The company said in an operations and production update that it crews, despite seasonal heavy rains, have been able to keep up with demand and plant capacity.

As a result, Edenville has started mining at its Namwele deposit to help meet that demand, with the plan to increase its volumes for sale. Partner Upendo Group will be mining Namwele, positioned just south of Mkomolo. Overburden clearing has begun, and the miner said coal production should coming online by the end of the current quarter.

As work gets rolling in the country, the company said the coal’s quality has exceeded its initial expectations in terms of both ash content and calorific value. It has sent both raw and processed output to its on-site lab and found the results meet its customer’s needs.

At its associated wash plant, processing is currently running at a 30-40t/h  throughput rate six days a week. It is in a position, it added, to meet a monthly mined material processing goal of 8,000-10,000t.

Edenville has planned the installation of a Lamella water treatment system and pre-screen technology to increase overall efficiency. Once online, it should increase hourly production rates to between 80-100t – back in line with management projections and progressing towards full production capacity at the plant.

In the meantime, the miner is fielding orders; between trial material and other orders, it has received about 9,000t in contracts that have either already been shipped or are in process.