Morupule Colliery

Debswana

The Morupule Colliery Limited (MCL) is a coal mining operation that is 100% owned by Debswana Diamond Company. Debswana in turn is a 50/50 joint venture between De Beers and the Botswana Government. The Colliery has been in operation since 1973 and the nearby coal-fired power station of the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has been the main customer consuming on average 66% of the MCL annual production. Production has increased steadily over the years from 145 000 tons per annum in 1973 to a total of 985 000 tons of coal mined in 2005.

BPC has recognised that they will not be able to meet future power demand for the country specifically after 2008 when Eskom, the main supplier of power to BPC, is expected to run out of surplus power to export. The government has given BPC the green light to expand the power generation capacity at Morupule Power Station in order to meet the projected future power demand of the vibrant economic activity in the country. The result is an increased demand for raw coal of some 1.9 mtpa above current levels. This has initiated the MCL expansion project.

Late in 2008 ADP was awarded the Engineering component of the MCL expansion feasibility study by Fluor Mining and Minerals, South Africa.

The purpose of the Morupule Feasibility study is to provide a cost effective, safe, and practical solutions for the expansion of the Morupule Colliery 2.8 million tons per annum and includes designs for underground and surface conveyor systems, a new crushing and screening facility with additional stockpiles, new underground and surface HT and LT infrastructure as well as expansions to the existing infrastructure.

The project was successfully completed in 2011.