Africa-Press – Botswana. President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi last Friday performed the ground breaking ceremony for the 100 MW Mmadinare solar plant.
It is the first utility scale grid connected solar project in the country and was developed by Scatec Solar ASA, a Norwegian independent power producer. The project is one of the key renewable energy projects in the integrated resource plan by government and would be constructed in two phases.
President Masisi said the sola project and other upcoming renewable energy projects would enhance the security of supply and contribute to power generation sources which were required to meet the country’s electricity demand.
President Masisi noted that the national electricity demand was 3 780 gigawatt-hours per annum and that demand was projected to rise at about five per cent per annum. He said the Mmadinare project would enable the realisation of the country’s long-term goal of self-sufficiency and a net exporter of electricity.
He said the country was endowed with enough sunshine in a year and that it was among the countries with the highest irradiation levels in the world. He added that there was need to exploit the God given resource for the betterment of Batswana’s lives and the sustenance of the energy sector.
“This project is a clear testimony of government’s total commitment to our energy transition journey which is in line with our national energy policy whose aim is to contribute towards sustainable economic development and a sustainable environment by ensuring optimal usage of our available primary energy resource,” he said.
Effective participation of citizens in the development of the economy, he said, was one of the key priorities of government.
President Masisi said 10 small-scale grid-tied solar plants with a combined capacity of 32MW had been awarded to 100 per cent citizen owned companies.
For utility scale grid connected solar plants which include Mmadinare and Jwaneng, President Masisi said a mandatory requirement of 40 per cent shareholding by citizen owned companies was provided.
President Masisi urged Mmadinare residents and leaders to support the project, saying it was a flagship project for the area. “Without the support of the local community and its leadership, the project will not be realised including its desired benefits,” he said.
The chief executive officer of Botswana Power Corporation, Mr David Kgoboko described the project as the largest renewable procurement signed by them under a binding 25-year power purchase agreement.
He said the scope of the project entailed the development, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of a 50MW solar plant, adding that the project also included construction of a 220 Kilo-Volts substation and associated transmission lines to connect the plant to the national grid.
Phase one of the project, he said, was expected to be commissioned in January 2025 while phase two would follow after six months.
Mr Kgoboko also thanked Scatec for the partnership in the development of renewable energy sources as they transitioned to a new energy mix.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
