Maputo, Nov. 26, 2025 (Lusa) - Mozambique forecasts record coal production in 2026, exceeding 22 million tonnes, reflecting overall growth of 15% compared to this year's estimate, according to government data.
According to documents supporting the 2026 Economic and Social Plan and State Budget (PESOE), currently under review by the parliament, the government's plan points to a production of 9.3 million tonnes of coking coal, a by-product used in steel production, and 13.1 million tonnes of thermal coal, used in energy production, in both cases an identical growth of 15%.
"It is estimated that coal production will reach an average growth rate of around 15%, with the improvement of processing plants in coal companies in Tete, despite the trend of a slight drop in the price of coal on the international market as a result of the increase in the commercialisation of clean energy," the Government acknowledges in the document.
The same plan recalls the forecast production of 19 million tonnes of coal in 2025, as well as 16.3 million tonnes produced in 2024, 14.9 million tonnes in 2023 and 14.8 million tonnes in 2022.
The Indian company Vulcan operates a 250-square-kilometre coal mining area in Moatize, Tete province.
In the last three years alone, Vulcan has reported producing more than 35 million tonnes of coal at its Moatize mines, an operation it purchased in April 2022 from Brazilian company Vale for more than $270 million (€233 million).
Vale was present in Mozambique for 15 years, having operated the Moatize mine and 912 kilometres of railway in the Nacala Logistics Corridor for coal transport, and the infrastructure was also sold to Vulcan.
Historically, coal has been Mozambique's main export product. Still, it was dethroned in the first quarter, with the country selling $567.7 million (€492.2 million) in natural gas, a year-on-year increase of 28%, surpassing coal revenue.
"The increase in natural gas revenues is explained by the increase in the volume exported in area 4 of the Rovuma basin, combined with the 12.8% rise in the average price on the international market," according to the Bank of Mozambique's balance of payments report for the first quarter of 2025, released in September.
Coal sales fell by 35% in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2024, to $300.8 million (€260.8 million), due in particular to "the shutdown of some mines and the disruption of the railway line as a result of bad weather that affected the flow of production" in the centre of the country.
The post-election demonstrations, which lasted from October last year until the first quarter of 2025, "namely the roadblocks that restricted the movement" of workers, also affected production, the document acknowledges, as did the 6% "fall in the average price" of coal on the international market.
Aluminium also surpassed coal in this period in terms of Mozambique's export value, reaching $380.7 million (€330 million), a year-on-year increase of 88.3%.
PVJ/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
