Moatize (Mozambique)

With some of the world’s richest coal deposits, the Moatize coal mine is number four on our list. Located at Moatize in the Tete Province of Mozambique, the coal mine currently holds an estimated recoverable coal reserve of 1,498.8 million tons as of December 2012.

Officially inaugurated in May 2011, the Moatize mine is operated by mining giant Vale, who holds a 95 percent interest in the mine site. Vale plans to spend $6 billion to expand the site in the second half of 2014, increasing production from 11 million tons to 22 million tons per year.  Vale has also invested in two African railroads that connect to ports – Sena and Nacala Corridor – in order to transport the mine’s output.