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Morupule Colliery
The Morupule Colliery is a coal mining, coal mine located in Palapye, Botswana, and owned and operated by Debswana, a partnership between the government of Botswana and De Beers. Founded in 1973 to supply the Bamangwato Concessions, Ltd copper and nickel mining, mine, operations have expanded considerably since then to supply regional power plants and industries, especially the nearby Morupule Power Station. A small wash plant, with a production capability of 120 tonnes per hour, was commissioned in January 2008 to supply a higher quality coal to local and regional consumers. This project was supported by the Botswana government as a means of stimulating the local economy, producing a less polluting form of coal than the run-of-mine coal, and to provide an alternative to the unsustainable use of wood for cooking and heating. A major expansion to the colliery is planned for 2010 and 2011. The primary purpose of the expansion is to supply coal to the adjacent Botswana Power Corporati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] |
Palapye
Palapye is a growing town in Botswana, situated about halfway between Francistown and Gaborone ( from Francistown and from Gaborone). Over the years its position has made it a convenient stopover on one of Southern Africa's principal north–south rail and road routes. Located here is the Morupule Colliery coal mine, which supplies Morupule Power Station, Botswana's principal domestic source of electricity. The power station has undertaken an expansion project to increase its generation capacity in an effort to meet the country's increasing demand for electricity. Construction began in 2010. , Morupule A plant produces 132 MW of electricity, while Morupule B produces 600 MW. In 1997 Palapye was said to be the fastest-growing village in Africa, and was expected to expand its population from 30,000 to 180,000. History The Bamangwato people, under Kgosi Khama III, are widely believed to be the first people to have settled near present-day Palapye. Their capital was the settlement of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] |