A new 1.4 million tonnes per year coal mine at state-owned Morupule Coal Mine (MCM) commissioned by President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Wednesday aims to increase exports as demand surges on the back of the global energy crisis.
The new open-cast mine, which will increase MCM’s output by 50 percent to 4.2 million tonnes per year, is part of a strategy to supply various markets with a cumulative 7.6 million tonnes of coal a year by 2027, growing revenue to P3bn (US$222.6m) from the P1bn forecast next year. Botswana is aiming to become a key coal producer, having already increased sea-borne exports in 2022 through Maputo and Walvis Bay. The developments come at an opportune time when many European countries are seeking alternative sources of fuel given the global energy crisis.
