Operations resume at coal mine

Coal mining and trading company Minergy Coal has resumed production at its Masama coal mine, in the Mmamabula West coalfield of southern Botswana, after successfully entering a mining contract with a new end-to-end services mining contractor, Meropa Resources – a consortium of four Botswana companies – following an unplanned shutdown in early 2023. Having started production in 2018, Minergy Coal encountered various challenges at Masama. Less than a year into its operation, the mine was affected by Covid-19-related challenges, crippling initial efforts to raise more capital as intended in the business case. The setbacks were further compounded by a general retreat of capital from the coal sector, says Minergy Coal CEO Matthews Bagopi.