Ben Richardson, CEO at SulNOx, confident they can cost-effectively decarbonise commercial shipping. Watch the video here.
So Tlou’s initial ambition is 2MW power generation (scaling to 10MW in time) - this being the company builder and main project.
So how does that stack up say in terms of heavy mining equipment increasingly having to convert to energy efficient operations?
Well, an extract from the Southern Africa is betting on green energy speech today at the Mining Indaba says:
“Viljoen was speaking at the Investing in Africa Mining Indaba that kicked off in Cape Town yesterday. Last week, Anglo American Platinum showcased a prototype of the world’s largest hydrogen-powered mine haul truck designed to operate in everyday mining conditions at its Mogalakwena PGM open pit mine in South Africa.
The 2MW hydrogen-battery hybrid truck, generating more power than its diesel predecessor and capable of carrying a 290-tonne payload, is part of Anglo American’s nuGen Zero Emission Haulage Solution (ZEHS). nuGen provides a fully integrated green hydrogen system, consisting of production, fuelling and haulage system, with green hydrogen to be produced at the mine site.”
One big truck is a 2MW power munching monster.
And Tlou drilled 2 horizontals wells at approx cost of $2m per well - and it seems they continue to struggle to extract enough gas to power one big monster truck.
Yup it’s all about context.
With its abundance of sun and wind, the Kalahari landscape of Namibia and Botswana is attracting more and more renewable energy investors, while its gas and cobalt/copper/nickel deposits are receiving global attention. According to Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi the country wants to foster partnerships with the private sector and ensure security of tenure, a stable regulatory environment, and a predictable fiscal regime. “Exploration companies should consider coming to Botswana. We are continuing to map and explore the Kalahari sands, and with the energy transition imminent, we are well positioned to take advantage of the future demand for battery minerals,” said Masisi.
Leon Louw is the founder and editor of WhyAfrica. He specialises in natural resources and African affairs.
WhyAfrica provides you with business intelligence that matters. Africa is our business, and we want it to be yours too. To subscribe to WhyAfrica’s free newsletter or digital magazine, and for more news on Africa, visit the website at www.whyafrica.co.za or send a direct message. WhyAfrica launched its first ever digital magazine in November 2021. The company will undertake a road trip through South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana in June and July 2022. If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising opportunities, please contact me at leon@whyafrica.co.za. We have a wide range of different packages and combo deals to give your company the greatest exposure to a rapidly growing, African readership.
The green energy revolution was a popular theme on the first day of Indaba. Despite the challenges Southern Africa are up against in the wake of a devastating global pandemic, the mood was upbeat as Gwede Mantashe, South African Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, lauded Anglo for its role in an imminent energy transition.
“I hope to see more of these hydrogen trucks in the future. In fact, we need to deploy larger fleets of these trucks. Mining is a sunrise industry in Southern Africa, not a sunset industry. Moreover, there are huge deposits of copper and cobalt in Zambia and the DRC, and an abundance of green minerals in the rest of the region and in Africa. What we need is more exploration and to reconstruct our ports and railway and freight infrastructure,” said Mantashe.
Africa needs to invest in exploration
The need to invest in exploration was echoed by Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia in his address. Hichilema said that African leaders need to step up and eliminate conflict and corruption and enable mining companies to unearth the rich resources hosted in countries like Zambia and the DRC. “Conflict and corruption hinder investment and to deliver social and economic growth we need to eliminate these impediments,” he said. “We are determined to create jobs and industrialise and will clear all obstacles in our way. We won’t tolerate corruption and will continue to partner with the private sector in building Zambia’s economy,” said Hichilema.
Zambia hosts massive deposits of copper, cobalt and nickel, all needed in battery technology which will drive a worldwide energy transition. In his address following Hichilema’s speech, Tristan Pascal, CEO of First Quantum Minerals, announced that the Canadian headquartered company will invest significantly in the expansion of its Kansanshi copper mine in the north of the country to extend the life of mine with more than 20 years. The company further committed to invest substantial capital in the development of a new nickel mine in the north-east of the country.
South Africa, Zambia and Botswana are backing a green energy revolution in Southern Africa to drive growth in a region decimated by Covid-19, corruption, and mismanagement.
By Leon Louw owner and editor of WhyAfrica
Southern Africa is in a unique position to become a green energy hub and alternative supplier of energy. The current geopolitical turmoil puts the region in a strong position to gain first mover advantage as Europe and the rest of the world frantically attempts to diversify its energy needs away from an unhealthy reliance on Russian fossil fuels. The challenge though, according to Natacha Viljoen, CEO of Anglo-American Platinum, is to collaborate and take advantage of the current momentum to create demand for Platinum Group Metals (PGM) and battery minerals, of which there are an abundance in Africa.
Viljoen was speaking at the Investing in Africa Mining Indaba that kicked off in Cape Town yesterday. Last week, Anglo American Platinum showcased a prototype of the world’s largest hydrogen-powered mine haul truck designed to operate in everyday mining conditions at its Mogalakwena PGM open pit mine in South Africa.
The 2MW hydrogen-battery hybrid truck, generating more power than its diesel predecessor and capable of carrying a 290-tonne payload, is part of Anglo American’s nuGen Zero Emission Haulage Solution (ZEHS). nuGen provides a fully integrated green hydrogen system, consisting of production, fuelling and haulage system, with green hydrogen to be produced at the mine site.
South Africa and its northern neighbour Namibia are shaping up to become world leaders in green hydrogen technology within the next five years. In addition to its green hydrogen ambitions, South Africa is also the largest producer of PGMs, while Zimbabwe is the third largest supplier, with Russia in second place. PGMs are used in the manufacturing of diesel catalytic converters which are critical in the reduction of carbon emissions.
#miningindaba2022
Find on Facebook and listen in to the speeches and some of the companies promoting themselves and the mining industry on the African continent.
Big talking shop - fair enough since all things start with talking and planning. When though will they get implementation etc rolling out aggressively …..
that has always been Africa’s problem.
Reminds me of a certain poster here - talk talk talk
Dig a hole and pour concrete and install 4 or 5 poles a day - FFS what an idiotic thing to say !!
I guess they are using a donkey and cart and a couple of lads digging with a pick and shovel with 2 or 3 more lads looking on to make sure the hole is in the right place at right depth.
Unbelievably clueless !!!!!!!!!!
As was the ‘governance’ comment.
How can the President stand up and say to hardened mining industry professionals they should come to Botswana where they will be welcomed etc with favourable policies, reduced red tape on licence applications and subsequent management, sensible environmental management policies and plans, available and trained workforce, favourable or at least non-penalising tax rates - and then we see the 100MW RFP for the CBM gas to power project issued, cancelled, reissued, awarded a year later and still largely on the drawing board 3 years later again.
Or issue the 90MW gas supply tender for Orapa power plant, then reissue it, and still 2 years later not even announce where that tender currently stands.
Or issue 2 x 50MW solar PV tender by BPC (which didn’t have authority to issue such a tender). Then have Ministry issue the tender to the public market, who then said it had been awarded to whomever. And now that tender has been reissued as 2 x 100MW solar PV tender.
None of it makes any joined up sense to anyone trying to plan a business to make money. It’s all just a banana republic joke ! They might be reasonably good at social media communications; and getting exposure at large mining conferences, and presenting the country at Dubai Expo and these sorts of things. But after you do that ie talk the talk, the rubber has to hit the road and they have to allow and support these projects to get going…..
So far, they have failed on that - they are not walking the talk. This needs to change !! Until it does, and even when it does, how long will that all take to come to be….
https://thepatriot.co.bw/%ef%bf%bcbotswana-open-for-investors-in-exploration-and-mining-projects-masisi/
Presidential address by President Masisi - he can certainly talk the talk if he says all this without vomiting. We implore you to come to Botswana for mining activities and projects as we have a very capable workforce waiting and ready and able to support you.
What complete utter tripe. They can’t organise a kiss up in Brad Smith’s back garden, let alone dig a hole in the ground and pretend they are exploring for …….
It is just getting worse and worse and blinking worse!
Mind you, ex-President Khama is holed up in Stellenbosh and the Indaba is in Cape Town so I wonder if the lads will schedule a clandestine rendezvous and try sort some of their carp out …
Unlikely - but we live in hope.
I have filtered everybody now as well - so the only person posting I can read ……is …….myself.
Amazing how idiots and sheep are so alike - they follow each other regardless of the obvious signs leading them to their demise ……
Thank god for donkeys !!!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14aHQ1vNyAMsObN0vs-65htKNqRCvwxOF/view?fbclid=IwAR38PiGmwSyQ9NGONh9Uh5HquNB0Cdb7IDb_kRt5BeAtphxoITgdzby6dNs
Just crazy - initially was a 2 x 50MW solar RFQ; now reissued as 2 x 100MW RFQ and thise applying must demonstrate prior projects delivery experience.
Nobody in Botswana has that experience; yet Govt is determined to award projects to citizen companies.
Project expected to be online by 2026/27 - you can deliver solar in a year providing there is grid connection. But these muppets want to wait 4 years for delivery - take your time lads, no rush, sit down and talk it all through for at least 2 years among yourselves whilst everybody incurs substantial cost pandering to your stupidity and inexperience.
This is the world Tony has chosen for Tlou to operate within. The best CBM choice globally he said; the best choice Smith keeps echoing as perfect because of Tony and coal seams and wonderfully and supportive Govt and Ministry. And wonderful partners whether in gas or solar or Hydrogen. And that GG was just the man to sort out all the local hurdles and problems given he was a former PS in Ministry of Minerals.
All ballacks; total utter endless ballacks from day 1 to day now. What is going to change there; when is it going to change there; will it ever change there….
TB, you numptie, ….. as you posted - ‘Tlou may participate ….’
And as I said - there is No Way Tlou can participate because they cannot use the BPOPF convertible note money. And I doubt they can use the last rigjts issue money since those funds were raised for the specific purpose of primarily getting the TL construction started.
If Tlou used the rights issue money, Tlou management run the risk of being sued by shareholders for using funds in a manner different to how they raised those funds. That is a risk no sane minded director of a plc would take.
So you thinking Tlou Energy plc will invest in SM at IPO stage is exactly as I said below - naive and crazy.
Rather than grandstand here against me, maybe you should take a good look in the mirror …. And tell yourself to wise up.
Investor - where do you get your assertion that cement companies will be blocked out of the construction market?
Not saying you are wrong; just wondering where this is being discussed. If this could be passed at say federal level, that would send pozzolan deposits crazy.