Botswana is set to is set to award a tender for 100 MW of solar capacity plant to an independent power producer (IPP). This is after it had cancelled process for the selection of a JV partner for the power project.
Initially, the government through state run Botswana Power Corporation, had issued a tender seeking investors for the construction of two 50 MW PV plants, as part of a joint venture with local utility but it was cancelled recently and will now be redefined as an IPP project, with investors to become 100% owners of the two plants.
“The project was nullified to allow for a fresh procurement process to be conducted with the new Terms of Reference (ToR) in line with the desired project structure,” said BPC.
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Solar energy
The power utility said that potential investors will be expected to establish partnerships with local companies for joint project ownership, construction and O&M. If built, the two facilities will be country’s first large-scale PV plants.
The winner will be in charge of the development, permitting, financing, design, engineering, procurement, construction, operation and maintenance of the photovoltaic (PV) park.
The 100 MW solar plant tender was the second solar tender that the utility has cancelled in recent years. The government of Botswana issued a similar expression of interest for a concentrated solar power installation in 2015, but the project was never implemented. BPC also launched a new tender for 12 IPP solar projects last November.
Electricity shortages
Botswana, like other countries in the region, faces the threat of continuous electricity shortages due to technical problems in its 600 MW coal-fired power plant, known as Morupule B. Energy demand in the country has been predicted to double from, 359MW by 2035 from around 600MW currently. Solar and renewable are expected to help Botswana reduce its dependence on power imports from troubled South African utility Eskom.
