By Farai D Hove| President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday promised to produce diesel from coal-mine methane.

Is it possible?

Mnangagwa was speaking in Lupane and he said, “Matabeleland North has many natural resources and has the largest reserves of coal-bed methane in southern Africa. Very soon we will be producing fertiliser and diesel from the resource,” he said.

Used in World War II

Coalbed methane is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. In recent decades it has become an important source of energy in United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries.

The process is not new at all; it goes all the way back to World War 2 when coal-mine methane was used by the Germans to provide Synthetic Diesel fuel for their Panzer Tanks.

In recent years, Sasol Ltd. of South Africa and Haldor Topsoe AS of Lyngby, Denmark, have signed a technology cooperation agreement to promote Sasol’s Slurry Phase Distillate technology together with Topsoe’s natural gas conversion technology for the production of high quality diesel fuels from natural gas.

Does a croc have capacity to do it? 

But can Mnanggwa manage to do it? Can Mnangagwa act as a straight thinking business man Capacity could be a challenge for a leader of this man’s  nature and stature. His record over the last 38 years speaks volumes on his capabilities of performance. It is no secret that all government parastatals, handled directly by him are in shambles as we speak nearly 50 years later. Can such a man be able to handle methane gas and most importantly in a business venture? Time will tell.