Botswana is on course to become a net exporter of electricity
Botswana’s ambition to become a net exporter of electricity is not a far- fetched dream, Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology, and Energy Security Lefoko Moagi, has said.
He told Botswana Guardian on Monday during the inauguration of the rooftop solar system at the French Residence that the country is making commendable strides to realise this goal.
Moagi cited solar energy as one of the greatest natural endowments that Botswana enjoys and to this extent, said the Ministry is currently undertaking other parallel initiatives to the solar rooftop programme, to exploit these abundant resources and increase the contribution of renewable energy to the total energy mix.
The rooftop solar programme was developed as a means of creating an enabling environment for end- users who can generate their own electricity and sell the excess to the Botswana Power Corporation.
The programme is aimed at harnessing the abundant solar energy through a partnership between BPC, and its customers, whereby electricity end- users have an opportunity to invest in solar PV systems with the objective of selling surplus energy to BPC.
Moagi explained that his Ministry through BPC has procured private sector investors for a 50MW Grid- scale solar PV Plant to be constructed in Selibe Phikwe and six ( 6) small- scale Gridtied Solar PV Plants.
He said that the procurement of another 50MW Grid- scale solar PV Plant to be located in Jwaneng ( with the object of greening the diamonds), and a further six ( 6) small- scale Grid- tied Plants, is ongoing and is scheduled to be completed during the first quarter of 2022.
When commissioned, Moagi said these projects will contribute to a combined capacity of 135 MW of green energy to the country’s power generation sources, enable the formation of a robust and vibrant renewable energy industry in Botswana, and will facilitate the growth of large- scale, low- cost renewable energy hence improve energy reliability, as well as satisfy the national and possible regional demand for electricity.
“Moreover, this will contribute towards the national vision by creating employment for citizens and improving the economic and sustainable development,” the Minister said.
The French Embassy is the first diplomatic mission in Botswana to have installed solar panels on its residence thereby contributing to Botswana’s efforts in increasing the contribution of renewable energy to the country’s energy mix with the objective of improving energy security and attaining a low carbon footprint.
French Ambassador and Special Representative to SADC, Laurence Beau commended Botswana for its recently approved Integrated Resource Plan ( IRP), saying the Plan is a clear roadmap to achieving a reliable, safe, and affordable electricity supply with a target to achieve a 15 percent contribution of renewable energy by 2030.
With Botswana’s great potential for wind and solar energy utilisation, Beau reiterated the Minister’s contention that the country will become a clean and renewable energy hub for Southern Africa.
“This will most certainly boost employment, attract companies that are committed to achieving the carbon- neutral targets, and most importantly, place Botswana at the heart of the energy revolution in Africa,” Beau said.
The French envoy emphasised that energy transition is a key priority for France, and indicated that their overall objective is to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
“Pursuant to this objective we were aiming at 33 percent share of renewable energy in our final energy consumption by 2030 from 19, 7 percent in 2020,” she said.
Beau added that clean energy is an indispensable driver to bring climate change under control and fulfill the objectives of the Framework Convention on Climate Change otherwise known as the Paris Agreement.
Together with the United Nations, Italy, the UK, and ChileFrance hosted the Climate Ambition Summit on the 12th of December 2020, which brought together 75 leaders from around the world.