The latest Investing Matters Podcast with Jean Roche, Co-Manager of Schroder UK Mid Cap Investment Trust has just been released. Listen here.
What complete and utter garbage !!
This is a message board for Tlou Energy. It is not a message board for the personal life of Bradsmith. But you guys would rather gob off at my posts trying, at least, to be thought provoking about the problems, challenges and occasionally successes facing the company. Whilst remaining silent reading about often totally inappropriate posts and messages in Brad's posts.
The "Chronicles of Brad" needs to stop !!
Https://www.weekendpost.co.bw/39195/news/moagi-interdicted-from-blocking-mining-in-okavango-delta/
Good example of why Moagi is not trustworthy. He was, probably still is, the primary cause why this company has wasted 2 years in Botswana over a totally bogus approach under Moagi.
Another potentially fascinating event ahead is release of Molale and Masisi memoirs. I suspect these will come out slightly ahead of when Khama gets very public and vocal in his criticism of Govt from his exile in SA. I doubt any or many of you here think much of this matters - and for Tlou, maybe it doesnt - but for the speed of economic progression there, getting Khama into a straight-jacket is priority number 1.
https://www.weekendpost.co.bw/39182/news/exposing-khamas-dark-secrets-masisi-molale-memoirs/
Brad I have often wished you would find a way to exit this chat group. I am glad you are still with us, and I wish you a speedy recovery ahead. At your age, i suspect it will take time - so please, take the time !!
SBADH Tree
I would be on the same page as you here Swak. There has been all the blah blah over the years with expert this that and the other etc. But Dave C is highly regarded within his fieldd so that made me pay attention. And the Purebond and new Chairman dropped in serious dosh - which is dependent on drill and commodity success. Rather than recovering via slow bleed of salaries and/or contracts with their private companies etc.
So i am hugely optimistic that, this time, the story makes sense and hopefully in time comes good !
If Purebond are in at 1p, then they will see success at 5p. It is easy enough to keep track on the math.
Complain and criticise - what a national treasure you are mate.
Common misconception that most here think my posts are always tainted with some negative connotation. Ho hum, who cares.
But interesting point has been raised - how is BPC going to pay for 600MW coal and 120MW solar (with lots more to follow no doubt) generation? BPC cannot pay its current contractors on time for work done on their distribution network (this is a fact !) - but then they have 2-3 years to figure out how to finance the cashflows.
However, i will say this now (and try not to repeat it all year long) - progress on infrastructural projects this year will be more talk than action due to elections in October. There will be delays for no obvious reasons - mind you, that happens anyways in Bots. Word also is that Moagi is a dead man walking, will lose his seat and therefore lose his Cabinet position. He has a thirst and is also very needy in other respects. Hmmm, not to be trusted.
Another naive post from another impatient punter inhabiting this board and the commodity space. Would it have been better if the company had not tweeted this post? Coz then you would have had nothing to complain about.
What I do believe PC needs do here is clearly inform shareholders and interested parties Why the progress anticipated to happen in last 6-9 months of last year appears to have stalled. What is latest on pozzolan (the company's prize trophies); has the bulk sample been processed or still sitting (I assume not processed since no update on results - bad form if processed and bad results and market not informed); any progress on developing or selling any of the many other projects; ....
Come on PC - time to front up to all your shareholders; not just the ones supporting you .....
Scatec, meanwhile, has already secured funding for the first 60MW from Rand Merchant Bank in Botswana and the World Bank's International Finance Corporation. Finance for the expanded generation will be through non-recourse debt and equity from Scatec, officials said.
“As we reach another milestone in our renewable energy journey in Botswana, we are now looking forward to starting construction of the largest solar project in the country,” said Scatec CEO, Terje Pilskog in a statement. “By doubling the total capacity of the solar power plant, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our strategy, robust business model, and drive to contribute to the green energy transition in Africa.”
Scatec estimates that the solar power plant will ensure that approximately 48,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions will be avoided and power provided to about 20,000 households annually.
Scatec is one of the world’s biggest solar and renewable energy developers, with large-scale projects that include a R16 billion plant in South Africa due to have a capacity of 540MW. In Africa, the group also has projects in Lesotho, Egypt, Uganda, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Tunisia.
Ministry and BPC previously doubled coal-fired plant from 300MW to 600MW PPA. Now below they just doubled solar PPA from 60MW to 120MW. Yet CBM are fannying around with 2, 6 or 10 measly megawatts - another sign the locals are not convinced on CBM feedstock.
A catec ASA, the Norwegian firm that scooped a contract to build the country’s largest renewable energy plant to date, says government has doubled the deal to 120MW, with capital costs estimated at $104 million (P1.4bn).
The original 60MW plant, to be built between Selebi-Phikwe and Mmadinare by June 2024, was the largest renewable procurement signed off by government. Government and Scatec officials signed a binding 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in August 2022 in Gaborone.
Under the deal, Scatec will finance, develop, and operate the solar power station, with the Botswana Power Corporation purchasing the generation.
This week, Scatec officials revealed that government had requested additional generation capacity.
“In the third quarter 2023, Scatec was awarded a 60MW expansion to the project, taking the total capacity to 120MW,” officials stated in an update.
The increase in requested generation awarded to Scatec mirrors the arrangement government sealed in July with Indian mega-firm, Jindal, for the doubling of a coal-fired power project to 600MW. At the time, Minerals and Energy minister, Lefoko Moagi, told this publication that government had been revising its Integrated Resource Plan and had noted an opportunity to go for the 600MW rather than the 300MW, given Jindal’s proven capacity in such projects.
He said since the procurement had already been done for the 300MW, the ministry had gone to Cabinet to seek an additional 300MW so that “it ties into the procurement that’s already there, going straight to Jindal rather than another procurement process”. With global funding of coal drying up, Moagi said government saw an opportunity to tap into the available funding and build a larger project.
Share price was 0.8 pence at the onset of covid in March 2020. And closed 2023 at 1.6 pence - along with substantial dilution over this period.
4) We are in the works for a Joint venture in Botswana, JC knows this is the part we need most.
Why dont. they do a deal with Tsodilo Res in Botswana for their BK16 kimberlite then.
But it is still hard to get away from reality that diamonds are not commodity flavour of the month. Not helped by Govt Bots and DeBeers continually sniping at each other for changes in the profit share distribution. It would not surprise me if the BDP talk tough towards DeBeers through 2024 ahead of Elections in October 2024 - nothing in that to calm or improve the market i reckon.
Like seriously TB - I think you really need to try something more original.
Https://www.mmegi.bw/features/govts-big-plans-for-a-railway-revolution/news
Copper gets a mention (Iron ore also - where is that deposit(s) i wonder. These types of infrastructure are vitally important if Botswana is ever to develop into a significant market economy / opportunity. Long way to go sadly.
Well if i have to read rubbish here incessantly, then I am going to start posting again - Brad's recent posts are a continum of rubbish he has been posting for 5 years now. This time last year for example:
" Back on topic, TLOU have confirmed that the market price is indeed what the company is worth - SFA! To discount a 2p price is criminal imho!
As I have said, long before my face turned blue, the price is realistically 5p+ and just because a few idiots are accepting less than 2p , that price is irrelevant! TG has contradicted me completely! Given we took 3.5p from Stephen Hemsley et al in the UK and the Pension fund in Botswana; it made sense that the Doc could buy at 3.5p in Australia.
I always blamed TG for reducing the price below 5p+ by placing non-option shares at 3.5p but it brought in urgently required funds quickly. AND WITHOUT OPTIONS 3.5p was reasonable. Covid screwed all our plans , so my faith in Tony stood firm!
Did we need to raise money urgently now? Poles and wires have enough funds to take us well into 2023! "
Makes me laugh tbh. He criticises TG when I am not around, then when I reappear and point that out - he is back to being TG fanboy.
Anyway, Brad ramblings apart - i cannot wait to see how this current fundraising turns out. Hopefully it is successful.
Blind faith - i rest my case ! Obvious to everyone except ......
Https://www.mmegi.bw/business/mdcb-targets-1bn-investment-portfolio-by-2028/news
MBCB are the investment arm of Govt of Botswana. They have been very quiet in recent years investing in companies and projects relevant to Botswana - I think largely because the Govt has been pretty broke (raided during the Khama years, then covid years, and slowly picking up now). But if they have money to invest, and KAV can show exciting copper resources / reserves, this is a door KAV can knock on cap in hand. There is also the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF) who could invest directly in KAV or one of their many Asset Managers could allocate some of their BPOPF portfolio to KAV.
BPOPF recent commentary:
https://www.mmegi.bw/features/inside-bpopfs-plans-as-billions-drift-back-home/news
But Ben and team needs to demonstrate copper showings first.
I totally agree Terrafin. He allowed the PR to be released saying how 2023 was set to be a banner or transformational year for SRES. That has not happened - so it is only right and proper that the MD/CEO of the company explains the delays and problems and provides some much more clear and precise thinking how 2024 will see the company progress. .
Slinking out of 2023 and slithering into 2024 is likely what he wants to do - we must not allow this to happen !!
You guys bite each and every single time. 75 per cent of the posts here are criticising me - that says either you guys simply cannot stop yourselves reacting OR there is nothing to talk about re Tlou (that hasn't been posted multiple times already by you) OR ........ (you fill in the blanks).
It is blind faith for Brad - he has said hundreds of times in Tony he trusts. It doesnt matter what TG says - Brad finds a way to polish it so he can maintain his faith. TG has lost control of his company - Fact ! And i dont care if Free comes back to argue otherwise. Yes, TG has a unique position here as a major shareholder, the gas guru that knows how to drill and raise money and sell a story. Project delivery is a new skill set for him and I imagine one he wished he never had to experience.
As for the rest - perhaps just appreciate me for the wonderful warm hearted soul i am. All i really want to do here is post links that i think have some relevance to CBM development in Botswana. Sometimes they are very relevant; often they are not - but jeez all of them a lot more interesting than reading Brad jack-a-nories (which all should be reported for misuse of a Message board rules).
Thanks poppets xxx