04 Aug 2022

 Morupule Coal Mine (MCM) is finalising its coal trading framework in an effort to capacitate Batswana to partake in the business.

The mine’s business development manager, Ms Kelebogile Seitei said that would ensure Batswana benefited from the current global demand for coal and favourable prices.

She was presenting a paper on key pillars of Botswana and South Africa’s industrialisation policy on minerals beneficiation and localisation initiatives at the Botswana-South Africa Business Forum held in Gaborone on Wednesday.

Ms Seitei explained that the framework would give guidance on approaching end-users, technical knowledge on product specification grading, pricing and other unique coal-specific contractual considerations.

As part of MCM’s citizen economic empowerment programme, the mine was deliberately capacitating and assisting locals to access the coal market, she said.

The mine aimed to achieve a 50 per cent local-sourcing by 2027, she said adding that the objective could only be achieved if Batswana took part in coal transportation, coal briquettes manufacturing by breaking bulk for supplying the retail market.

 “As we implement our strategy 2027, there is a lot of focus on building capacity amongst employees, which is aligned to our strategy 2027. There are core technical skills that we need to create focus on; these are metallurgy; mining; geology and how do we intend to do this?

It will be done via collaboration with institutions both locally and at a global level; as witnessed by a number of Memorandum of Understanding we have signed with various institutions to ensure that we collaborate towards the development of these skills,” she said.

Responding to a question on technology and digitisation investment opportunities in the sector, Ms Seitei pointed out that MCM’s focus was on coal smart mining for enhanced safety performance; productivity level improvement and increased shareholder value.

She said the focus necessitated acquisition and adoption of latest technologies such as drones and capitalising on automation.

“To further enhance decision making, we will also be focusing on data analytics, the ability for MCM to use data analytics as a science to enhance our trouble shooting skills and identify sustainable solutions for the business,” she said.

Ms Seitei said also under consideration was collaboration with original equipment manufacturers to ensure identification of suitable technologies for  improving  productivity levels.

“We currently have companies such as Komatsu/Joy Global; Sandvik among others that we are consistently in talks with, to ensure that we identify suitable technological solutions for our needs,” she said.

Ms Seitei said there were opportunities for South African companies in areas of market intelligence; smart technologies – smart meters, drones, plant equipment and machinery. ENDS