The Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) listed gas- to- power corporation, Tlou Energy Botswana is confident of producing electricity within set schedule.
Tlou Energy has been contracted by the government of Botswana through Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security to deliver Lesedi Coal Bed Methane (CBM).
Gabaake Gabaake, the company’s Executive Director, shared this week during the stakeholder presentation that the big P500 million Lesedi CBM project is on the right track to be delivered.
He said the CBM project is progressing in earnest despite some of the challenges that are encountered, maintaining that Tlou Energy is keen to assist country to monetise its coal natural reserve.
“Botswana has 200 billion tonnes of coal that could be used to produce sufficient electricity to be distributed in Botswana and even to be exported. Lesedi CBM without doubt has proved to be commercially viable hence suitable to address high power outages in Botswana,” he said.
Oozing with confidence the former Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Minerals said the half a billion Pula invested by Tlou in the project shows how worthwhile the Lesedi CBM project is.
Tlou Energy was granted a mining licence for its Lesedi CBM project in August 2017, paving the way for setting up of the first Southern African’s gas-to-power plant.
With its Lesedi CBM project, the company is expected to produce up to 100 megawatts (MW) of CBM to alleviate power shortage in Botswana and the Southern region to a larger extent.
Tlou Energy Managing Director, Tony Gilby, said the rich CBM reserves place Botswana as the best potential exporter of power across the region.
He said CBM reserves are initially clean in nature, emphasizing that everything is under control as Department of Environmental Affairs has also approved Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS has been approved for up to 20MW Coal Bed Methane power generation for an initial plan starting with small pilot project delivering 50 or 100 MW of power to Serowe.