Sese power project get EIA nod

Brian Benza | Friday September 5, 2014 13:27

In a statement released yesterday, the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) listed company said that the EIA for the first 300 MW integrated power project at Sese would be valid for project initiation within five years.

The approved EIA covers a 1.6-million tonne a year mining operation and coal processing and handling plan, as well as a 300 MW coal-fired power station. The project would also include a water pipeline from the Shase dam, an access road, and transmission grid connection as well as camp infrastructure.

African Energy said that with the approval of the EIA, and the recent award of surface rights, as well as the approved water allocation, the company has made significant advances in permitting the first Sese integrated power project.

The company has also applied for a mining licence covering 12.8 square kilometres to the Ministry of Minerals Energy and Water Resources.

“This licence area has been determined to contain enough suitable coal to fuel a 300MW power station for 35 years along with enough land to the east of the coal deposit for the location of the 300MW power station and all associated infrastructure.

“The area selection was based on an energy schedule derived from the recently completed first phase of a definitive feasibility study (‘DFS’),” said the company.

An area suitable for another mining licence application for a second 300MW power station and mine complex can be added to the south in due course. The project is estimated to host a total of 2.5-billion tonnes of resource.

Early this year African Energy signed an agreement that could see it supply 300MW of base‐load electrical power from the Sese project into Zambia. Zambia is currently experiencing a period of strong economic growth centred on new mine and smelter developments in the Copperbelt. 

The parties have agreed to explore the potential for the delivery of 300MW of base-load electrical power from A Sese project into ZESCO’s grid, 500 kilometres to the north of Sese. 

AFR is currently undertaking a desktop study to evaluate preferred options for the transmission and integration of power supply from Sese into southern Zambia. 

Preliminary studies have confirmed that there are no material flaws in the transmission options under evaluation.