Large-scale production of solar energy is now a reality in Botswana. This southern African country has just installed two solar photovoltaic power plants. The largest, with a capacity of 3 MWp, is located in Bobonong, a sub-district in the east of the country. The other, with a capacity of 1 MWp, is located in the North-West district, in the town of Shakawe to be precise.
Both plants are expected to generate 10,000 MWh per year in the first year of operation. The plants were built under a public-private partnership (PPP) signed in 2020 between the Botswana government and Sturdee Energy, a company based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Sturdee Energy, an independent power producer (IPP), then enlisted the services of German company Soventix to install the panels, inverters and other equipment for the solar power plant. The electricity it produces is sold to the state-owned Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) under a 25-year contract.
The two plants required an investment of $5 million, which Sturdee financed with the support of ResponsAbility, an investment company based in Zurich, Switzerland. The Bobonong and Shakawe solar photovoltaic plants will help to diversify Botswana’s electricity mix. The country has an installed capacity of 993 MW, all of which is generated from fossil fuels, notably coal (80%) and gas, according to Power Africa. Solar energy is paving the way for the energy transition.
Jean Marie Takouleu