Namma Coal Mine
| This article is part of the Global Coal Mine Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor. |
| Sub-articles: |
| Related-articles: |
Namma Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Nam Ma, Hsipaw, Shan, Myanmar.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Namma Coal Mine | Nam Ma, Hsipaw, Shan, Myanmar[1][2] | 22.6936079768786, 97.8036740420455 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating[3] | – | 2004[4] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 0.054[5] | 2020[5] | Underground & Surface[6] | Mixed[6] | 0.055[5] | 60* | 424.5416955437782[4] |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.8[7] | 2015[7] | 6.5[7] | – | Lignite[8] | Thermal[5] | Other Industrial |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Ngwe Yi Pale Company Limited [100.0%][4] | Ngwe Yi Pale Company Limited | Myanmar |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker August 2026 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
The Namma coal mine (also known as Nam Ma) are several surface and underground coal mines in Nam Ma, Shan State, Myanmar. The Namma coal deposit was listed by the the Department of the Ministry of Energy (on a web page that hasn't been updated since approximately 2000) as one of two coal deposits in Burma.[9]
The U.S. Geological Survey for 2019 included the mines by Ngwe Yee Pearl Co (Ngwe Yi Pale Company) in their report on the mineral industry in Burma. Annual capacity of the mines was not available.[10]
Ngwe Yi Pale Company started coal mining in Nam Ma in 2004 in cooperation with the previous military regime. Local communities have repeatedly tried to stop the mining, due to numerous impacts, including air and water pollution, loss of farmlands and land collapse.[11] As of November 2021, the company operated two mines in Nam Ma - one near Na Goon (Na Koon) village and one near Koong Pao village.[11][12] Coal is transported to Yi Pale's two sugar factories and cement factory in Nawng Khio township as well as to factories in Mandalay and other parts of Burma.[11] Mining, cement and sugar business are listed on Ngwe Yi Pale's website.[13]
Coal mine capacities and production levels are unknown. Ngwe Yi Pale allegedly produced half of the total coal output in northern Shan State in 2020.[14]
- Owner: Ngwe Yi Pale Company Limited
- Parent Company: Ngwe Yi Pale Company Limited
- Location: Nam Ma, Shan State, Myanmar
- Coordinates: 22.693607976878607, 97.8036740420455 (Exact)
- Status: Operating
- Production capacity: N/A
- Total Resource:
- Mineable Reserves: 2.8 million tonnes (2012)[9]
- Coal Type: Lignite[9]
- Mine Type: Surface and Underground[11]
- Start Year: 2004
- Source of Financing:
Expansion
In 2021, Ngwe Yi Pale was preparing to start a new coal mine at the at the Ho Na Fa watershed at Nam Ma, despite long-standing opposition from local villagers, who rely on this vital water source for their agricultural livelihoods. Coal exploration appears to have begun in late 2023.[12] A local youth group staged a protest against Ngwe Yi Pale company's ongoing coal mining operations in the area.[15]
Access the new site from the existing Na Koon coal mine in the west and from Wan Long village in the north. This new road not only cuts through the forested watershed, but also through villagers’ hill farms. The Ho Na Fa watershed is a vital irrigation source for Nam Ma villagers, whose main livelihood is farming of rice and corn. The forested watershed has been preserved for generations by customary law, forbidding the cutting of trees or farming.[14]
By 2025, coal from the mine — produced in cooperation with Hay Hein Company and Min Shwe Lwar Company, both linked to the Myanmar Economic Corporation — was reported being transported by Chinese-licensed trucks via the Lashio–Chinshwehaw route for export to China.[16]
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ (PDF) https://progressivevoicemyanmar.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Ngwe-Yi-Pale-expansion-Namma-English.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/hsipaw-local-youth-rally-against-ngwe-yi-pale-coal-mining-company.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20260630064141/https://english.shannews.org/archives/27912. Archived from the original on 30 June 2026.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 https://progressivevoicemyanmar.org/2023/11/28/ngwe-yi-pale-starts-controversial-new-coal-mine-in-nam-ma-watershed-amid-conflict-escalation-in-northern-shan-state/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 (PDF) https://burmacampaign.org.uk/media/Northern-Coal-Mining-Booklet-English.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 (PDF) https://shanhumanrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/11-23-2021-New-coal-mine-in-Namma-Eng.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 (PDF) https://theasiadialogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2015-12-Myanmar_Energy_Master_Plan.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://burmacampaign.org.uk/media/PoisonClouds.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Ministry of Energy - COAL SUB-SECTOR". energy.gov.mm. Retrieved accessed via the Wayback Machine in March 2023 and February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "2019 Minerals Yearbook" (PDF). pubs.usgs.gov. 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Ngwe Yi Pale to start new coal mine at Nam Ma watershed in Hsipaw, northern Shan State" (PDF). shanhumanrights.org. November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 12.0 12.1 Shan Human Rights Foundation (2023-11-28). "Ngwe Yi Pale starts controversial new coal mine in Nam Ma watershed amid conflict escalation in northern Shan State". Progressive Voice. Retrieved 2026-09-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "About Us". www.ngweyipalegroup.com. Retrieved February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Regime-crony Ngwe Yi Pale starts coal exploration in community watershed at Nam Ma, Hsipaw township". https://shanhumanrights.org/. December 2021.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "Hsipaw Local Youth Rally Against Ngwe Yi Pale Coal Mining Company". https://www.bnionline.net/. October 2023.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "Chinese-Licensed Trucks Increase Coal Shipments from Hsipaw to China via Chinshwehaw Border". Shan Herald Agency for News. 2025-03-24. Retrieved 2026-09-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
