The company said coal was observed via a peephole igniting and combusting with efficiency and no adverse impact on the boiler. Heat and steam generation were deemed satisfactory.

The trial followed excavation of a 15,000-tonne bulk sample from the Sese site and trucking of a 60t lot for processing and combustion at GH Boiler and Energy Services in Johannesburg.

The test also concluded that stack emissions were clear and that clinker seen in the boiler’s chain-grate was not detrimental to performance or ash recovery.

African Energy has recently established a 650 million tonne measured coal resource at Sese and is planning to adjoin the site’s open pit operation with a 300-megawatt power station with potential to ramp up to 600MW.

Negotiations with Botswana’s Ministry of Transport and Communications and Botswana Railways are anticipated to establish an economic rail tariff for the transport of coal to Maputo.

African Energy said the project had the potential to be exposed to massive seaborne coal export markets in the long term if new infrastructure was developed.

Sese is expected to produce 1-2 million tonnes per annum of coal from mid-2013 and 4-5Mtpa in 2015.