The sixth yearly Mozambique Coal Conference, to be held on July 27 and 28 in Maputo, will focus on ways to attract further investment in the country’s coal mining industry.

The conference will also emphasise the latest developments in the industry, rail and port infrastructure development projects and plans, as well as government policies, while also outlining the investment opportunities available in Mozambique.

Conference organiser Informa conference director Diana Lauzi tells Mining Weekly that this year’s conference will be officially opened by Mozambique Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Pedro Couto, who will make a presentation.

“The Minister will illustrate the changing landscape of Mozambique coal, while representatives from coal producers Indian Coal Ventures and Jindal Steel & Power will give a more hands-on perspective of the state of the industry in the country,” she highlights.

Other items on the agenda include presentations on Mozambique’s coal quality and the operational challenges of the Moatize coal basins, an update on the major transport and infrastructure projects, as well as the latest developments in new mining laws.

Coal is a significant contributor to Mozambique’s gross domestic product, with advisory firm KPMG’s ‘2014 African Economic Outlook: Mozambique’ report stating that the country’s 2013 coal production reached 7.5-million tons, which was 4.8-million tons higher than the coal production recorded in 2012.

The report estimates that, by 2016, Mozambique’s coal corridor will add 11-million tons a year to the country’s coal-shipping capacity, reaching 18-million tons a year by 2017.

“The International Monetary Fund expects Mozambique’s economic performance to be robust and stronger than most other sub-Saharan Africa countries’, with 7% growth expected for 2015. “We expect coal, as the biggest contributor to the country’s mining output, to be at the centre of this growth. However, the growth is marred by falling commodity prices,” Lauzi cautions.

She states that, since its inception in 2010, the Informa coal conference has helped to put the spotlight on Mozambique, distributing information about its coal potential and the opportunities that its fledging coal industry can offer investors worldwide.

Informa Australia first convened the conference in Maputo in July 2010. Lauzi says that first success has resulted in the event becoming a yearly gathering for the coal industry.

The event mostly attracts representatives from the local, regional and international coal industry; analysts from the finance community; infrastructure sector representatives; coal suppliers; and government officials.

“The aim of the conference is to bring together the participants of the Mozambique coal sector to discuss the state of the industry and its future development, as well as the social and economic impact on the Mozambican population,” she concludes.