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Minerals, energy and water resources minister Onkokame Kitso Mokaila has sought to clarify the tender for the rehabilitation of the 132MW Morupule A coal power plant following accusations of impropriety. The local Sunday Standard accused the ministry of negotiating with South Korea’s Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction over the contract while the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) tender process was still running. Speaking in parliament, Mokaila denied running a parallel process, saying the ministry allowed Doosan to inspect the plant while the BPC tender process was ongoing but that the bid was received after the process was completed. He said BPC and owner’s engineer Lahmeyer International were currently evaluating Doosan’s bid.

The government is exploring the use of coal bed methane and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to reduce the cost of running its 90MW dual fuel open cycle gas turbine power plant at Orapa, which is currently operating using diesel. A tender has been issued for an owner’s engineer to work on developing LNG and coal bed methane gas infrastructure to supply the power plant. Bids are due by 7 October but a compulsory site visit and pre-tender clarification meeting will take place on 23 September.

Temporary power provider APR Energy has signed a contract with Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) to provide 35MW of new power generation, using diesel modules redeployed from Libya. APR Energy will install and operate a fast-track, turnkey power plant adjacent to BPC’s existing 70MW generating facility outside Francistown, Botswana’s second-largest city, which was originally supplied by APR. APR expects to commission the plant in Q3 2015, and the contract has a two-year term.

The Competition Authority has unconditionally authorised the purchase of 74% of the shares in Jindal BVI Ltd by South Africa’s Glendal Trading Ltd. Jindal BVI is a subsidiary of Jindal Steel & Power (Mauritius) Ltd (JSPL) and is the holding company for the Jindal Mmamabula Energy project (JMEP), an integrated coal power project able to produce up to 1,200MW of power.

The World Bank is seeking a consultant to develop a comprehensive energy efficiency strategy, funded by a grant from the Africa Renewable Energy Access programme. The government has undertaken several energy efficiency programmes over the last few years, including distribution of compact fluorescent bulbs to replace incandescent bulbs in 2010, the implementation in 2013 of ripple control to remotely turn on and off domestic hot water heaters and the development in 2008 of guidelines for energy efficient building design that are yet to be implemented, as well as public awareness programmes and energy audits of public institutions.

Botswana’s Shumba Coal Ltd announced a heads of agreement on 6 March with South Africa’s Mulilo Renewable Project Developments for the joint development of the Mabesekwa Export Independent Power Plant as part of the South African coal baseload independent power producer (IPP) programme. Mabesekwa will be a coal-fired power plant with a captive coal mine. The parties intend to sign a comprehensive joint development agreement within two months. On 25 February, Shumba announced a sale and purchase agreement with Daheng Group Botswana for the acquisition of the Mabesekwa prospecting licence in north-east Botswana.

As energy imports dry up, Namibia is hopeful that short-term measures will help keep the lights on until the bigger Baynes and Kudu schemes can be realised. Botswana is having a harder time of it, with criticism of the government’s slow response to the looming supply crunch and a series of problems at the key Morupule B plant. The Gaborone government has maintained the subsidy paid to Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) in the 2015 budget, saying the continued underperformance of the electricity sector was a major concern.

Miner First Quantum Minerals Ltd (FQM) has agreed to purchase up to 75% of the Sese coal-to-power project from Australia’s African Energy Resources (AFR) for $20m. The companies have executed a binding heads of agreement under which FQM can earn an interest in the Sese project through investment of A$20m and arranging finance as a loan carry for AFR’s 25% interest in the project. FQM will also buy shares in AFR, giving it 12.6% in the company, which is developing a series of 300MW integrated power projects and captive coal mines at its Sese project.

Two years after it was scheduled to begin full operation, all four units at the 600MW Morupule B coal power plant are out of service. Energy and water resources minister Kitso Mokaila told reporters on 14 October that the president of the lead engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC), would fly to Botswana within the week to discuss the project with the government. Shenyang Blower Works Electro-Mechanics Import and Export Company was also part of the EPC consortium, and Germany’s Fichtner is owner’s engineer.

Zambia’s Zesco has issued a letter of intent confirming its interest in receiving power from the 300MW Sese integrated coal mine and power project in Botswana. Zesco has agreed to work with Sese developer African Energy Resources (AER) on a transmission system connection agreement based on a connection into the Zesco grid at or near the Livingstone substation. The proposed transmission line is planned to take up to 300MW of new power generation capacity, and up to 600MW with further upgrading.

Australia’s African Energy Resources (AFR) has registered four coal power projects with the South African Department of Energy (DoE) for the upcoming baseload independent power producer (IPP) procurement programme. The DoE gave interested parties until 25 July to respond to a request for registration, which is aimed at clarifying how the projects will connect to the grid, and avoiding some of the delays that have plagued the third round of the renewable energy IPP procurement process. As expected, AFR has registered its 300MW coal power project at Sese, Botswana, which it is developing with Saudi partner Acwa Power.

Botswana Stock Exchange and Stock Exchange of Mauritius-listed Shumba Coal has announced the completion of power station design and selection studies and preliminary financial modelling for its 300MW Sechaba Energy Project, to be sited on its Sechaba thermal coal resource. A power transmission scoping study looking at export possibilities was finished this year. Parsons Brinckerhoff (Power) provided studies looking at the site, boiler technology, plant configuration, limestone consumption and conceptual design and description of the facility. Based on this work, the power plant is expected to comprise two 150MW circulating fluidised bed units and will incorporate a subcritical non-reheat steam turbine with dry air cooled condenser technology.

Sasol Petroleum International has opted to withdraw from its coalbed methane (CBM) prospecting licences. An update from chief financial officer Paul Victor covering the first nine months of the financial year said that Sasol had completed an early-stage CBM exploration programme in March 2013. “Following a comprehensive technical evaluation, we decided to withdraw from the CBM prospecting licences. We will, however, continue to monitor the Southern African CBM landscape, as well as that for both conventional and unconventional gas reserves.

Plagued by frequent load-shedding throughout February and March, Botswana’s government is looking to external consultants to streamline management of state utility Botswana Power Corporation (BPC). In late April, The Irish Times reported that the international consultancy arm of Ireland’s state-owned Electricity Supply Board, ESB International, had been awarded a three-year contract to manage BPC. An ESB spokeswoman told African Energy that the company was “in discussions for the project”, but that an agreement had yet to be finalised. Botswana has long relied on imported power, mainly from South Africa’s Eskom, Electricidade de Moçambique and Namibia’s Nampower, to meet demand, but supply has failed to keep pace with growing demand throughout the Southern African Power Pool.

Botswana’s Ministry for Minerals, Energy and Water Resources has released an indicative timeframe for bids from shortlisted developers for a 300MW power project. Bidding is likely to take place in late March. Australia’s African Energy Resources (AFR) said it was among those shortlisted to receive the invitation, in Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power, and that should the bid be successful and proceed according to the indicative timeframe, then financial close could be achieved by year-end. AFR said the ministry was finalising the appointment of legal and transaction advisors for the project, to develop a minemouth coal plant at the company’s Sese coal field.