Mmamabula Energy Project is a 3,600 MW coal power station in Central, Botswana. It is operated by Mmamabula Power Plant Development Pty Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 4.5 million homes (estimated). It ranks #1 of 12 Botswana power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2026, it is around 0 years old — recently built. In context, coal supplies about 98.3% of Botswana's electricity; the national grid averages 851 gCO₂/kWh (0.3% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_mmamabula_botsw.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 3,600 MW, Mmamabula Energy Project is well above the median coal plant in Botswana (600 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Botswana coal capacity
- 44.4% of 8,111 MW across 11 plants in this dataset
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest coal plants in Botswana
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Mmamabula Power Plant Development Pty Ltd [100%].
Climate zone & how it works
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 23.6°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #1 largest coal power plant of 11 in Botswana by capacity.
Botswana has 11 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 8,111 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- CIC Domestic power station · Coal · 300 MW · Central
- Mmamabula West power station · Coal · 600 MW · Central
- Mookane Domestic Power Project · Coal · 300 MW · Central
- Vedanta power station · Coal · 600 MW · Limpopo
- Namane power station · Coal · 660 MW · Limpopo
- Sibanye Gold power station · Coal · 200 MW · Limpopo
Location
Coordinates -23.62, 26.71 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Mmamabula Energy Project?
Mmamabula Energy Project is a 3,600 MW coal power plant in Central, Botswana, commissioned in 2026.
Who operates Mmamabula Energy Project?
Mmamabula Energy Project is operated by Mmamabula Power Plant Development Pty Ltd [100%].