By Oscar Nkala
British company Tlou Energy Limited has re-submitted its response to the Request for Proposal (“RFP”) from the Botswana government for the development of up to 100MW of coal-bed-methane (CBM) gas powered pilot power plants.
The RFP was issued by the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security on behalf of the Government of Botswana. In a notice to shareholders, company Managing Director Tony Gilby said the proposal involves the phased development of a project that will start with an initial generation capacity of up to 10MW.
“We are delighted that the re-submission of the tender has been completed and look forward to a response from the Ministry. We have detailed what we believe is a very compelling and robust proposal. If successful this project can help start a new CBM industry in Botswana, create further employment, provide a much-needed local clean power source, and bring a return for Tlou investors.
“Tlou is well placed, as the leading CBM company in the region, to be able to deliver the project outlined in the submission and we look forward to working closely with the Government to make it a success. Our drilling program is due to commence very soon and I will provide an update on this in the very near term,” Gilby said.
The company is planning to establish a gas-to-power project that will use gas from the Lesedi CBM project to generate power. The power station will be connected to the Botswana national grid to enable it to supply local markets and export through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) network.
