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Diamonds have served Botswana well in over five decades since independence, helping it to move from poverty to upper middle-income status, but Gaborone has grown dependent on gemstones and accelerated economic diversification is needed to exploit other potential resources – including coal and transition minerals. At the same time, moves to end state domination of a coal-based energy sector have moved only slowly.
The African Domestic Bond Fund (ADBF) listed in the local pula currency on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) on 15 September.
Independent energy trader BB Energy said it intends to start trading solar-generated electricity on the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) by end-2023.
Scatec has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) to construct a 50MW solar PV plant at Selebi-Phikwe.
The Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (Bitri) is partnering with Canada’s Process Research Ortech (Pro) to set up a $80m plant to produce 30,000 t/yr of high-grade nickel and cobalt salts to be used for electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage batteries.
Botswana's Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources has issued a tender for independent power producers (IPPs) to develop a 200MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in Maun/Letlhakane.
South African independent power producer (IPP) Sturdee Energy has begun work on a 3MW solar PV project at Bobonong, in central Botswana. The IPP was awarded the scheme, along with a 1MW project in Shakawe, in February 2020 by Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) under a tender for grid-tied solar projects. The plants have a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) and are thought to be the first private sector renewable energy projects in Botswana to supply BPC.
London AIM-, Australian Securities Exchange- and Botswana Stock Exchange-listed Tlou Energy has contracted local Zismo Engineering to connect its gas and solar power project to supply 25MW to the national grid.
Tlou Energy has said it has now obtained all the required approvals to develop its Lesedi coalbed methane gas-to-power power project. The first phase involves development of 10MW for sale to Botswana Power Corporation (BPC).
Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) issued a tender for the development, financing, construction, operations and maintenance of six solar PV plants on 6 January, but then withdrew it on 18 January without explanation.
The pledge by China’s President Xi Jinping to end state financing of overseas coal projects – with huge ramifications for several coal-producing and importing countries – set off a lively debate about its possible ramifications. Fears about the consequence for Africa may have been overstated, according to one industry figure who responded to African Energy’s article.
Controversy continues to dog financing from China, the world’s largest bilateral lender by a distance. Its debt provision has transformed the African funding landscape over the past two decades: according to African Energy Live Data, $38bn of Chinese investment was committed to power projects across the continent between 2014 and 2019 alone.
SolarCentury Africa has signed a co-development agreement with Shumba Energy for the 100MWp Tati solar PV project, which is intended to be one of the first merchant plants on the continent. Tati aims to make use of new membership rules for merchant plants on the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (Bera) has issued a licence to the local Shumba Energy for the 100MW Tati Solar plant, which is set to be developed in two 50MW phases.
Tlou Energy has awarded two tenders for work on its gas and solar Lesedi power project. The local Zismo Engineering has won a contract for the construction of 100km of 66kV overhead transmission lines. South Africa’s OptiPower secured another tender for construction of substations at Lesedi and Serowe, where it will connect with the grid.
