| This article is part of the Global Coal Mine Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor. |
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Morupule Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Palapye, Central District, Botswana.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Morupule Coal Mine | Palapye, Central District, Botswana[1][2] | -22.515389, 27.024167 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating[3] | – | 1973[1] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3[4][5] | 2.7[6] | 2024[6] | Underground & Surface[1] | Mixed[1] | 425.0[1] | 60.0* | 652.0* |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40.0 | – | 4285.0 | – | Subbituminous[1] | Thermal[1] | Coal Plant[7][8] |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Minerals Development Company Botswana[1] | Minerals Development Company Botswana Pty Ltd [100.0%] | Botswana |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM | 2.2[9][10] | 2.48[9][10] | 1.83[9][10] | 1.9[9] | – | 2.8[5] | 3.03[6] | 2.7[6] | – |
Expansion/Extension
Table 7: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Project Type | Project Phase | Added Capacity (Mtpa)* | Start Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mothballed[11][12][13] | – | Expansion[14][15] | – | 4.5[14] | 2027[14] |
Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker May 2026 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
The Morupule coal mine is an underground mine producing approximately 2.8 million tonnes per annum, near Palapye, Botswana.[16] It is wholly-owned by Minerals Development Company Botswana (MDCB).[17]
The Anglo American Corporation received a mining lease in 1966 and developed a colliery at the Morupule coalfield, which opened in 1973.[18] MCM ownership was transferred to Debswana Diamond Company in 2000, when Anglo disinvested its operations in Botswana. In 2016, the De Beers interest in MCM (held under Debswana) was acquired by the Minerals Development Company Botswana, giving them 100% ownership.[19]
Morupule Coal Mine has a mining lease area covering approximately 42,531 hectares, and has four resource blocks: MCM 1, MCM 2, MCM 3 North, and MCM 3 South. The main underground mine is currently operating at its MCM 1 resource.[20]
The mine supplies power to the Morupule B power station. It is one of two currently operating mines in Botswana (although more are planned); the other operating mine is the Masama coal mine.
Expansion
Morupule has an expansion plan, called Project Motheo, to increase production at the Morupule coal mine through the construction of an open pit mine.[20]
In 2021, the proposed addition of a second mine at the site would increase the expected production of the mine by 35% to 3.8 million tonnes, up from a 2.8 million tonnes per annum.[21] In April 2021, a 5-year mining services contract was awarded to a joint venture between the local citizen-owned company Bothakga Burrow and South-African-based Basil Read Mining.[20] Groundbreaking began in November 2021, while the project's commissioning phase, which was originally scheduled to start by December 2021, was re-scheduled for spring 2022.[22][23] The Motheo project mines the MCM 3 resource block which has potential to supply power station grade coal for over 30 years.[20]
The mine opened in September 2022.[24] The new surface coal mine with 1.4Mtpa capacity was expected to raise MCM’s production capacity by 50% from the current 2.8Mtpa to 4.2Mtpa.[25] In July 2023, the mine marked its 50th year of operations.[26]
Industry reporting from 2024 referred to the mine's capacity at 4.2Mtpa.[26] However, according to national statistics report, coal production in Botswana fell in 2023 by 16%, to just over 2 million tonnes.[27] MC<
Further expansion plans up to 10Mtpa by 2027 were mentioned in an industry report dated June 2024.[26] MCM's expansion, the Motheo Project, was approved in 2019 to position the company as a strategic source of energy. The surface mine will increase the tonnage produced by MCM from the current coal production capacity to 4.2 Mtpa (ROM) coal. The surface mine can be scaled up to produce up to 6Mtppa of saleable coal, coupled with the development of a rail link into the Waterberg region of RSA and other markets that are currently being studied. Work on the Motheo Project began in late 2021 when the President of Botswana, Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony. When fully operational, the mine will include a coal-washing plant and associated infrastructure to supply coal to the regional market.[26]
In December 2024, the services project for the Motheo Opencast Mining expansion Project was cancelled. There were myriad reasons cited for the cancellation, namely, instability in both the regional and international coal markets, which led to a temporary suspension of Motheo's operations in May 2024.[28]
Methane Plumes Detected Nearby
Global Energy Monitor researchers analyze satellite-detected methane plumes in order to determine whether they have been observed at or near the site of GEM energy assets. The satellite data provider creates imagery of individual methane plumes and estimates their emission rates at the time of observation. GEM has reviewed many of these plume detections against Google Earth imagery and GEM’s own energy infrastructure tracker data. The following table lists methane plumes which are associated with the energy asset or facility based on distance and manual review. (A full description of the analysis process is available in the Global Methane Emitters Tracker methodology wiki page.)
Table M1: Plume details
| Observation date | Satellite data provider | Location of plume origin | Methane emissions rate | Additional plume information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-02-24T12:16:54+00 | CarbonMapper, emi20230224t121654p08045-A | -22.53305338, 26.99403991[29] | 481.8941852 kg/hr[29] | Central District Methane Observation 2023-02-24, 1 |
| 2023-05-25T10:12:03+00 | CarbonMapper, emi20230525t101203p06017-A | -22.53247903, 26.99372552[29] | 1824.593224 kg/hr[29] | Central District Methane Observation 2023-05-25, 1 |
| 2023-06-30T10:24:57+00 | CarbonMapper, emi20230630t102457p07044-A | -22.53207314, 26.99366024[29] | 2232.224425 kg/hr[29] | Central District Methane Observation 2023-06-30, 1 |
| 2023-09-03T08:45:13+00 | CarbonMapper, emi20230903t084513p06036-A | -22.53261183, 26.99343526[29] | 1169.194828 kg/hr[29] | Central District Methane Observation 2023-09-03, 1 |
| 2023-09-24T09:51:36+00 | CarbonMapper, emi20230924t095136p06034-A | -22.53261147, 26.99305522[29] | 1705.677329 kg/hr[29] | Central District Methane Observation 2023-09-24, 1 |
| 2024-03-01T09:29:56+00 | CarbonMapper, emi20240301t092956p06022-A | -22.53251665, 26.99355986[29] | 1782.890162 kg/hr[29] | Central District Methane Observation 2024-03-01, 1 |
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20230325232931/https://mcm.co.bw/documents/MCM_company_profile.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morupule_Colliery.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.facebook.com/MCMSeamToValue/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/botswanas-minergy-seeks-govt-bailout-after-halting-coal-mining-ops-2023-03-08/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/botswanas-morupule-aims-boost-coal-output-by-50-with-new-mine-2022-09-28/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 (PDF) https://mcm.co.bw/storage/1966/MCM_2024_Annual_Report.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/botswanas-state-owned-coal-miner-aims-boost-output-by-35-2021-04-28/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.mining-technology.com/news/botswana-coal-mine-exports/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 https://repository.biust.ac.bw/handle/123456789/515.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 (PDF) https://www.statsbots.org.bw/sites/default/files/publications/Index%20Of%20The%20%20Physical%20Volume%20Of%20Mining%20Production%20First%20Quarter%202024.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.facebook.com/theprojectsbw/posts/%F0%9D%97%A0%F0%9D%97%A2%F0%9D%97%A5%F0%9D%97%A8%F0%9D%97%A3%F0%9D%97%A8%F0%9D%97%9F%F0%9D%97%98-%F0%9D%97%96%F0%9D%97%A2%F0%9D%97%94%F0%9D%97%9F-%F0%9D%97%A0%F0%9D%97%9C%F0%9D%97%A1%F0%9D%97%98-%F0%9D%97%A7%F0%9D%97%A2-%F0%9D%97%A5%F0%9D%97%98%F0%9D%97%A6%F0%9D%97%A8%F0%9D%97%A0%F0%9D%97%98-%F0%9D%97%A2%F0%9D%97%A3%F0%9D%97%98%F0%9D%97%A1-%F0%9D%97%96%F0%9D%97%94%F0%9D%97%A6%F0%9D%97%A7-%F0%9D%97%A2%F0%9D%97%A3%F0%9D%97%98%F0%9D%97%A5%F0%9D%97%94%F0%9D%97%A7%F0%9D%97%9C%F0%9D%97%A2%F0%9D%97%A1%F0%9D%97%A6-resumption-will-create-124-job/1221726250163564/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.facebook.com/MiningTravelReview/posts/morupule-mine-terminates-motheo-mining-contract/1335128957463398/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://entrepreneurs.co.bw/morupule-coal-mine-terminates-motheo-opencast-coal-mining-contract-amid-market-challenges/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 https://www.bus-ex.com/article/morupule-coal-mine-casting-seam-value-success-story.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.bus-ex.com/sites/default/files/2024-07/MORUPULE%20COAL%20MINE%20-BE%20Africa%202024.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Morupule Coal Mine,Product, Company Website, accessed November 2020.
- ↑ Morupule Coal Mine: Seam to Energy, Morupule Coal Mine website, accessed July 2022.
- ↑ Morupule Coal Mine Company History, Company Website, accessed November 2020.
- ↑ Morupule Coal Mine Company Profile, Morupule Coal Mine website, accessed July 2022.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 "Basil Read and local Botswana company to develop Motheo coal mine for Morupule", International Mining, April 28, 2021.
- ↑ Reuters, "Botswana’s Morupule to boost coal output by 35% with new mine", Reuters website, Accessed March 2021
- ↑ Opencast Mining, Morupule Coal Mine website, accessed July 2022.
- ↑ "Motheo Project Groundbreaking Ceremony", Morupule Coal Mine Facebook page, November 26, 2021.
- ↑ Botswana's Morupule aims to boost coal output by 50% with new mine, Reuters, September 28, 2022
- ↑ "Botswana commissions new coal mine to increase exports". www.mining-technology.com. September 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 "Morupule Coal Mine: Casting A 'Seam-to-Value' Success Story". /www.bus-ex.com. June 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Coal output drops". www.mmegi.bw/. April 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Morupule Motheo Project - Opencast Coal Mining Services Contract", Morupule Coal Mine website, accessed November 2025.
- ↑ 29.00 29.01 29.02 29.03 29.04 29.05 29.06 29.07 29.08 29.09 29.10 29.11 url=https://data.carbonmapper.org/
