Home stretch in race for Mmamabula licences

In June, the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources put the Mmamabula South and Central blocks to tender. These are known coal resource areas in eastern Botswana, which have previously been the subject of rigorous exploration. The tender, the first of its kind in Botswana, is part of recommendations of the Coal Roadmap, the government's blueprint for maximising returns from the country's abundant coal resources. This week, it emerged that of the 39 foreign and local firms that paid the P10,000 non-refundable fee to collect tender documents ahead of the July, 3 2012 deadline, 24 applied for the two licences.

The Department of Geological Survey (DGS) officials told Business Week that tender evaluation had proceeded past the two stages identified and a shortlist had been drawn up for the board's assessment. The board comprises the DGS director and senior officials.