Power demand to rise 25% during winter
Brian Benza | Thursday June 2, 2016 18:00
During the approaching winter season, the power utility anticipates an increase in the national demand from the current 530MW to a projected 669MW. It says it is thus working on ensuring that all the units are restored at the earliest possible time to avoid any possible power supply interruptions. In a statement, BPC said there are currently two units (Unit 2 and 4) in full operation delivering about 260MW.
“Unit 1 and 3, which contribute a further 260MW are out of operation and this is mainly due to the ongoing maintenance on these. The corporation expects Unit 1 to be functional in terms of contribution of an additional 130MW to the national grid by mid-June 2016 if not earlier while Unit 3’s date of operation has not yet been established,” stated BPC.
The corporation projects an import supply of 190MW while 479MW will be produced locally for the peak period.
Despite the anticipated stable power supply this winter, BPC says it is encouraging customers to use electricity sparingly to avoid any possible power supply interruptions.
During the winter season the BPC says in situations where the grid is constrained, as part of the Demand Side Management (DSM) initiatives, they will embark on a load management programme to avoid load shedding. “This is a programme in which customers are required to maintain their loads within 10A (2300Watts) during peak periods (6am-10am and 6pm-10pm).
“Customers should switch off their geysers during peak hours (6am-10am and 6pm-10pm), switch off air conditioners, switch off swimming pool pumps, switch off lights that are not absolutely necessary and use energy efficient light bulbs to support the corporation’s efforts to ensuring continuous electricity supply countrywide,” BPC stated.
As part of the medium to long term plans that will turn Botswana into a net power exporter, groundwork to expand the Morupule B to 900MW has already started after a tender for construction of another two units (Unit 5 and 6) was recently awarded to a joint venture between Japanese Marubeni and South Korea’s Posco Energy. The 300MW Units 5 and 6 are expected to kick into the national grid by 2020 lifting power generation to more than 1,000MW, well above a national demand.
On the other hand, works to refurbish the 120MW Morupule A power station have also started after a tender was awarded to another South Korean company, Doosan Heavy Industries at a cost of $204 million.
In addition, government is weighing an option to expand Morupule B by a further 300MW (Unit 7 and 8).
In a notice published last month, the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) announced it had approved a request by the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources to use the direct appointment method to engage a joint venture between two South Korean firms, KEPCO and Daewoo to construct Unit 7 and 8 at Morupule B.
According to the notice, the IPP contractor, once engaged, would be required to design, finance, construct, own, operate, maintain and decommission at the end of the economic life a 300MW brownfield coal-fired power plant comprising two 150MW units.