16 Dec 2020

The pre-feasibility study for copper beneficiation has demonstrated that the volume of copper to be mined is currently deemed insufficient.

When answering a question in Parliament, the Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi noted that this was despite the studies having shown that it was possible to refine copper concentrate in Botswana to produce London

Metal Exchange grade copper in the future.

He said the government had made the pre-feasibility study available for free to the private sector interested in investing in the project.

The assistant minister explained that to date, only two companies were at early stages of carrying out detailed feasibility studies, adding that they were open to encouraging beneficiation in the mineral sector.

Mr Molebatsi said with regard to the beneficiation of salt and soda ash, Botswana Ash carried out a pre-feasibility study for the production of Potash a fertiliser, sodium, sulphate, vacuum salt and sodium bicarbonate.

He said future work to be done by the company included conducting the market study, detailed feasibility study, engineering design and eventually construction.

He explained that the work was supposed to be done in 2020 but because of the effects of COVID-19 pandemic, Botswana Ash would review its projects and reprioritise.

Furthermore, he said in the realisation of the great potential in soda ash, there was consideration to designate Sowa as a private sector-led Special Economic Zone for beneficiation of salt and soda ash.

Jwaneng-Mabutsane Member of Parliament, Mr Mephato Reatile had asked whether Botswana had the potential to refine its copper or salt and set up processing plants to produce and manufacture copper pipes and sodium products to reduce the import bill.

He also wanted to know if such projects could be researched upon and supported under the Economic Stimulus Programme. ENDS