DAR ES SALAAM, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities said on Sunday that the long-delayed Liganga iron ore and Mchuchuma coal projects are expected to begin within the next three months following the near completion of investment negotiations.
Tanzanian government chief spokesperson Gerson Msigwa said discussions with investors have reached more than 90 percent completion.
The Liganga iron ore and Mchuchuma coal projects, located in Tanzania's southern highlands, are among the country's largest strategic mining and industrial ventures.
According to Msigwa, the projects are expected to create more than 6,500 direct jobs and over 26,000 indirect jobs while strengthening the country's steel supply chain.
He said the Liganga project is expected to produce about 2.9 million tonnes of iron ore annually and support the production of about 1.1 million tonnes of steel products each year, while the Mchuchuma coal mine is projected to produce three million tonnes of coal annually.
Msigwa said Tanzania has estimated coal reserves of about five billion tonnes, noting that the country's coal deposits are among the largest and highest-quality in Africa.
Implementation of the projects will include the construction of a 220-kilovolt power transmission line linking Mchuchuma and Liganga, as well as roads connecting the two sites, he said.
