Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Coal Country Notes

Botswana

Vast deposits of bituminous coal have been located in Botswana, principally in the eastern part of the country. The only mine to have been developed so far is at Morupule, near the town of Palapye, where Morupule Colliery Limited (controlled by Anglo American Corporation) commenced coal extraction in 1973.

For the present Survey, the resource data reported for the 2004 edition by the Botswana WEC Member Committee have been retained. Proved recoverable reserves were given as 40 million tonnes, of which 50% could be mined by open-cast methods. The reported tonnages related solely to the economically recoverable reserves that were being exploited at the Morupule Mine. With cumulative output to the end of 2005 amounting to some 20 million tonnes, Botswana's remaining proved amount of coal in place was reported to be 3 340 million tonnes.

All of Botswana's current coal production (985 thousand tonnes in 2005) is of power generation quality, none of coking quality. The Morupule mine's chief customers are the Botswana Power Corporation, the copper/nickel mine at Selibe-Phikwe and the soda ash plant at Sua Pan. The BPC power station at Morupule (net capacity 118 MW) generates about half of Botswana's electricity supplies, the balance being provided by imports from South Africa.