Botswana to construct 100MW solar power plant

Botswana’s state run power utility is seeking a partner for a 100-MW solar power plant project with energy storage capacity in the country.

The Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) will be accepting expressions of interest (EoIs) by June 14.

The power company will be a partner in the joint venture that will develop, install, and operate the solar power plant project.

It will also be the entity buying the power by the future solar farm under a power purchase agreement (PPA).

“The plant will be situated in Botswana, and the new formed Joint Venture will sell its power to BPC through a Power Purchasing Agreement.

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Therefore, Expression of Interest is invited from power generation companies/Independent Power Producers (IPPs)/power plant developers/Captive Power Producers for developing a solar power plant in a joint venture with BPC,” BPC explained.

BPC states that the objectives of the 100 MW Solar Power plant project are to improve security and reliability of energy supply, increase share of new and renewable sources of energy in the energy supply mix of the country and offset the country’s carbon footprint.

The 100-MW solar power project is in line with the country’s power strategy. BPC said the plant will improve the security and reliability of energy supply, increase the use of renewable energy, and reduce Botswana’s carbon footprint.

According to BPC, Botswana is facing a huge power supply deficit owing to diminished surplus generation capacity in the region and the growing electrical energy requirements in Botswana.

To address the power supply challenges and to meet the future electricity demand, BPC and the Ministry of Minerals, Green Technology and Energy Security has embarked on a comprehensive electrical power system development strategy which includes among others, the development of a 100MW solar power plant two years from appointment of the preferred Independent Power Producer joint venture partner.

The supplementary power generation will be from a new solar power plant constructed, commissioned, owned and operated, by the IPP joint venture company.

This initiative is in line with National Energy Policy goal of providing affordable, reliable and adequate supply of energy for sustainable development, as well as improving access to and efficient use of energy resources.