Government catches up on solar development
After a slow start into solar power, Botswana is pushing ahead with plans to generate solar from the sun, cutting its reliance on electricity imports and reducing its carbon footprint. Government has rolled out several IPPs to usher several solar projects, which apart from commercial purposes, is anticipated to help rural Batswana get the much-needed access to electricity.
Botswana struggles to get electricity out to its remote rural areas, largely due to poor road links with urban areas and their distance from the national electricity grid, said Tshepo Mokate, a solar engineer in Gaborone.
He said domestic solarenergy systems could ensure rural homes have reliable power without needing to be connected to the grid, “Most importantly, solar would be more affordable, particularly for rural communities, and for the government that has been spending millions each year on importing electricity through coal,” he said.
Last month, the country launched the multi-billion Pula worth Rooftop Solar Programme to install 10 megawatts of photovoltaic (PV) solar power capacity over the next 12 months, with two megawatts for households and the rest for commercial and industrial users.
Announcing the project, Lefoko Moagi, Minister for Green technology and Energy security, said the government would subsidise the cost of the small scale solar- power systems, and any surplus energy generated will be sold to the Botswana Power Corporation at a rate of 81.51 thebe (0.087 US$ cents) per kilowatt hour.
“We create an enabling environment for users to generate their own power,” said Moagi. “Furthermore, we want to see Botswana’s installed capacity increasing, because the country is still faced with dire energy shortages.”
The Botswana Power Corporation did not respond to requests for comment but a previous statement from the government power company noted that the project aims to install at least 44,000 solar panels in residential properties across the country by the end of 2021.
The rooftop solar project is part of Botswana’s Integrated Resource Plan 2020-2040.
The plan is a collection of clean energy projects that should increase Botswana’s total installed electricity capacity to 1540MW - more than double the current demand - within the next 20 years, while also reducing the country’s carbon footprint. Currently, Botswana relies on imports from South Africa for more than 70% of the energy it uses, spending P520 million each year, according to government figures.
In his State of the Nation address in November 2020, President Mokgweetsi Masisi said the government is now prioritising transitioning from an energy-dependent country to one with an energy surplus. “Moving forward, there will be greater emphasis on the expansion of solar power and other green technologies to meet our energy needs.”