Botswana nears self-sufficiency in power supply
Isaac Pinielo | Friday March 17, 2017 16:17
Data from Statistics Botswana (SB) shows that during the last quarter of 2016, electricity generation increased by 11.1% while power imports dropped by 32%.
The physical volume of electricity generated during that period stood at 783,141 megawatt-hour (MWH), which represents an increase of 77,940 MWH as compared to 705,201 MWH generated during the same period of the previous year.
Comparison of the physical volume of electricity generated during the third and fourth quarters of 2016 gives an increase of 18.4% or 121,896 MWH from 661,245 MWH during the third quarter of 2016 to 783,141 MWH in the fourth quarter of the same year.
According to acting statistician general, Burton Mguni the increases were largely due to the ongoing remedial works of the Morupule B Power Station, with the intention of meeting the nation’s electricity demand. The country’s electricity consumption per capita is estimated at 874 kilowatt-hour (KWH).
On the other hand, the country’s electricity imports plunged by 32% in the fourth quarter of 2016 compared to 2015.
This means that last year, the country imported 228,543 MWH in the fourth quarter as compared to 335,931 MWH imported during the same quarter of 2015, representing a decrease of 107,388 MWH. The decrease was attributed to the Botswana Power Corporation’s focused determination on the improvement of domestic electricity generation. The country is seeking to end reliance on electricity imports from South Africa.
Year-on-year comparison of distributed electricity during the fourth quarter of 2016 and the same quarter in 2015 depicts a decrease of 2.8% or 29,448 MWH from 1,041,132 MWH to 1,011,684 MWH respectively.
Electricity distributed during the third quarter of 2016 was 1,011,684 MWH, compared to 994,600 MWH to during the quarter under review. This shows an increase of 1.7% or 17,084 MWH.
Figures show that electricity generated locally contributed 77.4% to electricity distributed during the fourth quarter of 2016, as compared to 67.7% during the corresponding quarter in 2015, and 66.5% during the third quarter in 2016.
US-based International Business Monitor (IBM) recently said Botswana’s power generation capacity would grow exponentially in the next few years, driven by three new projects that are expected to start supplying the national grid between 2018 and 2019.
The bulk of domestic electricity production is generated by the Morupule coal-fired station with more than half of Botswana’s power requirements being imported from South Africa and Zambia.