Botswana to construct 100MW solar power plant

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Botswana to construct 100MW solar power plant

A 100MW solar power plant is set to be constructed in Botswana. The development follows a partnership entered between Solarcentury, a British company, has entered into a partnership agreement with Energy & National Resource Corporation (ENRC).

The project whose objective is to address the energy deficit in the region, will be set up in in Palapye in the south-west of the country. Solarcentury’s President and CEO, Jason de Carteret confirmed that the project has obtained essential approvals from the Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) and completed its grid impact assessment with the state-owned Botswana Power Corporation (BPC), facilitating further development.

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Energy rate in Botswana

Solarcentury plans to supply the electricity generated to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), leveraging its membership since 2023. Through its participation in SAPP, the independent power producer (IPP) will also build a 60 MW solar photovoltaic power plant in southern Namibia, in partnership with SolNam Energy. The aim of these two projects is to contribute to the growth of electricity trade within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Botswana relies mainly on electricity, coal, fuelwood and petroleum for its energy demands. Renewable energy resources for Botswana are solar, wind, and various forms of bioenergy that include biofuels and biomass wastes. The country has no perennial rivers and large dams and therefore has no potential for hydro-power. It has made good progress through a large push for mini-grid and off-grid solutions in rural areas