Botswana- and Mauritius-listed junior Shumba Coal Resources has raised $2.2-million, which it intends to invest in its Botswana coal mining and energy project.
The Sechaba coal and power generation project is aimed at exporting coal to India and China and exporting electricity to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. “Recent scoping studies into power transmission options support the development of the project. Owing to its proximity to the A1 highway, a railway line and the existence of large resources of groundwater and two river basins, the project is potentially well [located] for the development of a mine and a power station,” says MD Mashale Phumaphi.
The coal mining component of the project could export more than one-million tons of coal a year through South Africa, Namibia or Mozambique. The energy component would generate up to 300 MW.
Electricity from the power plant, to be located in Palapye, will be fed into Botswana Power Corporation’s transmission grid at Morupule and will be wheeled to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.