19 Feb 2015

The Ministry Minerals, Energy and Water Resources is not considering any coal to petrol industry project but instead exploring a Coal to Liquids (polygeneration) facility.

Minister Kitso Mokaila of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources was answering a question in Parliament from the Member of Parliament for Tati West Mr Biggie Butale who wanted him to state timelines for feasibility studies and possible commencement of the coal to petrol industry project.

The Minister who said he assumed that the Member of Parliament’s question was referring to Coal to Liquids project, said developing a coal to liquids facility was a mega project by global standards and involved the integration of complex technology and process plants to achieve a successful project delivery.

Minister Mokaila said the project would take about six to seven years from inception to commissioning, noting that pre-feasibility study would be undertaken in 2015, whilst the feasibility study would be budgeted for during the National Development Plan 11 and would be conducted during the first quarter of the plan period, subject to the inclusion of the project in the plan after the Technical Working Group (TWG) prioritization process.

Meanwhile, he said, some preliminary work including benchmarks, capacity building are being done. ENDS