Coal

Botswana is seeking to secure funding partners for a $2.5 billion plant to produce synthetic fuels from coal, a plan rekindled by the energy crisis playing out in Europe, according to its energy minister. The southern African nation has for nearly a decade discussed tapping its extensive coal resources to …

In response to rising demand for the commodity since the start of Russia’s military incursion against Ukraine earlier this year, Botswana has commissioned a new coal mine at the state-owned Morupule Coal Mine (MCM) to increase its exports, according to reports. President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana officially opened the new …

President Mokgweetsi Masisi said on Tuesday that Botswana has been swamped with requests to supply coal to Europe, with projections that demand from Western countries could reach a million tonnes per year, as the Ukraine conflict compels Europe to look to Africa for energy resources. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine …

Jindal Steel & Power (JSPL) of India is reportedly planning to start construction on a coal mine in Botswana’s Mmamabula coalfields in 2022. According to a company official, this mine will assist the company in supplying a proposed coal power plant as well as the export market. The proposed mine …

Despite calls to abandon coal, work on Botswana’s second privately-owned coal mine is set to begin in the first quarter of next year, according to the CEO of Maatla Resources. The southern African country signed a global commitment to reduce the use of highly polluting coal at the COP26 climate …

Minergy Limited, Botswana’s only privately-owned coal miner, has revived plans to list its shares on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) to reduce debt and boost output amid a global commodities boom, according to its chief executive officer. Minergy shelved plans for an initial public offering on London’s junior AIM stock …

Botswana has begun work on its first iron-ore mine, a senior government official said on Tuesday, as the country seeks rapid diversification from diamond mining. The African nation’s heavy reliance on diamonds, which account for a fifth of Botswana’s GDP and more than two-thirds of its foreign exchange income, was …

For the construction of an open cast coal mining operation at the MCM, Motheo project, Morupule Coal Mine (MCM) has awarded a 5-year mining services contract to a joint venture between Bothakga Burrow, a local citizen-owned company, and Basil Read Mining, a South African-based company. In April 2021, the BR-BB …

The spotlight is set to be on Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) at the Africa Mining Forum which is set to kick off from the 16-20 November 2020. A testament to this notion is the fact that the organisers of the event have also announced a unique digital ESG …

Botswana currently has national demand of 600 MW, but recurring breakdowns at one of its main power stations have left the country reliant on imports and diesel generators to cover shortfalls. Hence the country plans to add more 600 megawatts (MW) of solar and coal-fired power in the next six years …