Botala secures environmental okay for Serowe CBM project in Botswana

Australia-listed Botala Energy has received environmental approval for the commercial development of its Serowe coalbed methane (CBM) project, also known as the Naledi CBM project, in Botswana, it said on January 23.

The approval, granted on schedule and without public objections, followed a thorough appraisal of Botala's environmental impact assessment (EIA), which included community consultations.

“Awarding of Environmental Approval is always a major milestone for any project. It reduces the number of remaining hurdles for the development of this project,” Botala CEO Kris Martinick commented. 

Botala Energy is currently in the advanced stages of converting some of its prospecting licenses to mining licenses after successful CBM exploration. The development of the CBM project includes the establishment of well heads, a gas gathering network, a central processing facility, and a gas supply system to a proposed 20MW gas/solar hybrid pilot in Serowe, which is currently in advanced planning.

Additionally, plans involve compressing gas into an export pipeline leading to the proposed Leupane Energy Hub and Industrial Park. Water disposal will be managed through evaporation ponds, with consideration given to a reverse osmosis plant for treating saline water. The project also entails a network of infield pipelines and service tracks.

Botala said it is concurrently progressing with two other EIAs for downstream projects: the Serowe Energy Hub and the Leupane Energy Hub and Industrial Park. These EIAs are in the final assessment stages and are currently open for public evaluation, marking the last step before potential approval.