BOL finalises preps for P30bn coal-to-fuel project
Friday, May 20, 2022 | 3920 Views |
Black gold: The country’s abundant coal resources could power its fuel self-sufficiency PIC: MINERGY.COM
Known as Ikaegeng XTL (coal-to-liquid), the ambitious project aims to tap into the billions of tonnes of coal lying untapped in the country, with technology applied to produce various petroleum products for domestic use.
While 11 companies were shortlisted for the project after a prequalification tender in August 2017, Botswana Oil (BOL) has since repackaged Ikaegeng as a Public Private Partnership initiative and finalised a feasibility study showing that nearly 3,000 jobs could be created during construction and operation.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Dithapelo Keorapetse, has this week rightly washed his hands of the mess, refusing to wade into a party squabble that has no clear leadership and no single version of the truth.When a single party sends six different letters to the Speaker’s office, each claiming to be the authoritative voice, it is not just confusion, but an embarrassment.Keorapetse is correct to insist on institutional boundaries. Parliament...