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Another notch for Botswana’s coal mining industry

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Gaborone, Botswana, July 28 (Infosplusgabon) - Botswana is poised to be the supplier of choice to coal consumers across southern Africa in both the domestic and African coal industries through the emerging coal mining company, Minergy Limited.

 


The mine, still in its teething stage, is one of the major suppliers of coal in

the Southern Africa.


Morne Du Plessis, Minergy’s Chief Executive Officer, says "coal is here to stay despite the Paris Climate Agreement’s call for a significant percentage of our energy to be sourced from renewable green sources and negative media coverage about the future of coal".


Minergy is located in the Mmamabula coalfield, about 74 kilometers from Gaborone. It will produce 100,000 tons of coal per month and is already a source of employment for the villagers and some people from the city of Gaborone.


According to Morne Du Plessis, there is still need for coal in Africa as a whole despite the call for low emission worldwide to curb the threats of climate change and global warming.


“There are some countries like South Africa that did not sign the Paris agreement and it has been proven that coal is has very low emissions as compared to some other substances. Power stations in almost all the African countries use coal. Many people in Africa still burn wood to turn into charcoal because there is vast need of coal as means of fuel in Africa. Africa is in urgent need of power,” says Morne Du Plessis.


Approximately 620 million Africans rely on firewood, kerosene and charcoal for cooking, heating and lighting and the African Development Bank says that 600,000 Africans, mainly women and children, die prematurely every year due to illnesses caused by indoor air pollution. In addition, Africa’s population is expected to double to 2.5 billion by 2050.


Du Plessis says the size of the coal market in southern Africa is significantly well above 16 million tons per annum and the Minergy Coal Mine is exceptionally well-placed to supply coal into this market.


Coal customers include cement and lime producers, brickworks, breweries, paper and sugar mills, chemical industry and the coal fired power station.


“Minergy is well placed to supply the international seaborne thermal coal market through global trading houses should the economics be attractive," said Du Plessis.


He said the project allows Minergy to operate on various sections of the large resource in order to supply several markets.


The mine is said to be already giving back to the community through employment in some of locals in skilled and unskilled jobs.


The Medie village which has had no electricity will also benefit from the upcoming mine, the village will electrified as the electricity to the mine will be passing through the village. The mine is currently using solar energy for its offices and diesel power generators for the mine site.


“Use of generators is quite expensive but hopefully very soon the mine will be full electrified as the Botswana Power Corporation is already in progress with taping power from the village of Lentsweletau,” says Minergy’s Chief Executive Officer.


The mine is said to have no negative impact on the environment and will have underground water supply from boreholes. Seventy percent of the water would then be recycled to be reused in some of the mine projects.




FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/DDF/GABON2019



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