“The ministry is actively pursuing the development of offgrid solar PV solutions to provide electricity to remote areas that are currently not connected to the grid. This initiative will further increase renewable energy contribution to our energy mix,” he said when commissioning the Bobonong 3MW solar PV plant recently. Moagi said this will equally contribute to the country’s national renewable energy target while also aligning with the goal of reducing green house emissions by 15% by 2030 based on the 2010 levels. The rooftop solar programme was developed to create an environment in which end users can generate their own electricity and sell the excess to the Botswana Power Corporation. The programme covers household, commercial and industrial sectors. The Minerals minister further said they have identified the development of a 20MW dispatchable concentrated solar PV plant as part of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).
The project is said to be under procurement and its anticipated realisation time is the next two to three years. In addition, the ministry plans to develop more solar PV plants wind and battery energy storage projects within the next three to five years. “These projects will contribute towards achieving or target of 50% contribution to power generation from renewable energy sources by 2036,” Moagi added. The 3MW Bobonong solar PV plant and Shakawe solar PV projects are the first two of the 12 small scale grid tied solar PV projects which will deliver a total of 35MW when all the sites are commissioned.
Government is also in the process of procuring solar PV projects for 10 additional sites across the country which include Molepolole 4MW, Lobatse 4MW, Maun 4MW, Ghanzi 4MW, Serowe 4MW, Tsabong 4MW, Charleshill 1MW, Kasane 4MW, Tutume 2MW and Kang 1MW. “Government is committed to supporting capable Batswana companies and their contribution o the development of the energy sector,” Moagi said. “In this regards government has reserved these 10 remaining small scale grid-tied solar PV projects for citizen owned enterprises to enable meaningful participation in the energy sector by Batswana.”
