CIC Energy announced last week that, as a member of the Trans Africa Rail Consortium, it has submitted an Expression of Interest regarding the Trans Kalahari Rail Project.
This was in response to the invitation jointly published by the Governments of Botswana and Namibia in October 2010.
The submission was supported by global EPC/M and O&M companies, as well as regional coal producers and potential producers, along with leading financial and legal institutions.
The Trans Africa Rail Consortium includes CIC Energy, Exxaro Resources Limited, Morupule Collieries Limited, Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (“IDC”) and African Infrastructure Investment Managers (Pty) Ltd (“AIIM”).
In its request for Expressions of Interest, the Governments of Botswana and Namibia stated that the development of the Trans Kalahari Rail Project is expected to begin in June 2011. 
A short-list from among the parties that submitted Expressions of Interest is expected to be announced in February 2011, and these parties will then submit their technical proposals for the project.
“The Trans Kalahari Rail Line is part of CIC Energy’s long-term plan to maximize the value of the Mmamabula Coal Field by creating a new export route for coal in the region,” said Greg Kinross, President of CIC Energy, in a media statement.
“While a rail project of this size takes some time to develop, this project is gaining momentum as a critical project for the region,” the company said.
The proposed Trans Kalahari Rail Project is a 1,500 kilometer rail line running from Botswana and the Waterberg Coal Field in South Africa to a port in Namibia.
A pre-feasibility study on the rail project funded by the World Bank and supervised by the Governments of Botswana and Namibia is expected to be completed this month.  
The selected developer will be expected to design, build and operate the Trans Kalahari Rail Line and port in Namibia for an unspecified period of time before transferring it to the Governments of Botswana and Namibia.
