Media to join Kedikilwe on mine project tour

RYDER GABATHUSE
Staff Writer | Wednesday May 12, 2010 00:00

 

The Managing Director of Debswana Blackie Marole and other top managers of the mining parastatal will also go on the tour that will cover the construction site of the P850-million Orapa Power Station and a storm water dam.

'In view of the current national power shortage (that is) envisaged to continue beyond 2010, Debswana has responded by commissioning a 90-megawatt power plant in Orapa,' says a press statement released by Orapa-based Debswana public and corporate affairs manager, Kesego Kebelaele.

Orapa is a conventional open pit mine situated 240 kilometres west of Francistown. It began production in 1971 and is the oldest running Debswana operation in Botswana.

The Orapa Power Station is a 1.5-million litre fuel farm and sub-station consisting of two 45MW dual fuel gas turbines. 'It is anticipated that the project will assist Debswana in minimising the impact of the power shortage on its business to enable it to maintain its production levels,' the statement says.

The project, which is being built with the co-operation of the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC), will be handed over to the government on completion.

As part of its initiative to conserve water, Orapa and Letlhakane Mines also built a storm water dam in 2008. The statement says the primary objective of the storm water dam is to harvest rainwater.

'Prior to the commissioning of this project, the mines relied on underground water and recycled water for (their) day-to-day mining activities,' the statement adds.