Botswana Stock Exchange-listed Minergy aims to commission its Masama coal mine, in Botswana, in January, and to start producing coal within a month thereafter.
This follows the company being granted a mining licence by the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security.
The 390-million-tonne Masama project is situated in the Mmambula coalfield, in south-west Botswana, 50 km north of the capital city Gabarone.
The opencast, low-strip mine has the potential to produce 2.4-million tonnes a year of coal – a target it is expected to reach within a year of opening.
Upon completion of the mine’s feasibility study and environmental-impact statement approval by the Department of Environmental Affairs, Minergy had already started pre-construction work.
“This will be the first opencast coal mining licence granted by the government of Botswana, so the process was not without its challenges for both parties; however, government was confident in our economic model and we never doubted that the challenges would be overcome,” said Minergy CEO Andre Bojé.
Minergy also plans to list on the Aim.