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.
That a single private law firm pocketed P6.5 million for just four cases, out of a total P11.1 million paid for 25 matters, reeks of a system that was not merely disorganised but open to abuse.Bayford has taken a welcome first step by telling the Public Accounts Committee the truth. Now he must act decisively to ensure it never happens again and that any money lost to wrongdoing is recovered.The figures are staggering. Whilst ordinary Batswana...