Reuters reported that Zambia largest coal producer, Maamba Collieries which is majority owned by Singapore Nava Bharat Pte has resumed operations and sees full-scale mining activities by the end of July 2011.

Maamba Collieries once a key supplier of coal to the country copper mines, produced about 600,000 tonnes of coal per year in the 1980s, but production slumped due to years of under capitalization and operational losses.

Nava Bharat acquired a 65% stake in Maamba in 2009 and it said last year that it would spend USD 108 million on modernizing the mine. Maamba started revival activities in April 2010 and said Nava Bharat had to date injected USD 33 million into the company.

The company said "Maamba Collieries commenced mining activities in May 2011 after procuring new mining equipment, adding that it sees full-scale mining by the end of July.”

State run Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines -Investment Holdings owns 35% of Maamba mine.

(Sourced from Reuters)