Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique have signed an agreement in South Africa to move forward with a railway and port project to help landlocked Botswana export its vast coal reserves through Mozambique.

Despite this agreement, Botswana still needs to secure funding to make it a reality.

The project aims to upgrade existing railway lines running through Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, build new links, and create a new deep-water port in Mozambique.

The new port planned for Tikoanineis estimated to cost up to $1.5 billion, according to 2018 estimates.
Botswana holds coal reserves estimated at approximately 212 billion tons, according to the World Energy Council, and is keen to find ways to export this coal before global efforts to transition to renewable energy turn it into a stranded asset.