Botswana energy storage power

How much power does Botswana need?

Taking a deeper look at historical power generation figures, Botswana’s annual generation has plateaued around the 3700–4000 GWh range. For the long-term target, the government has set a target of 1.5 GW of new capacity by 2040 (Reuters 2021). Botswana has ample domestic resources capable of meeting the power demand.

What is Botswana's energy policy?

Botswana’s energy policy is anchored on three key aspects – increasing access to electricity through the Rural Electrification Project, security, and stabilization of the power supply, and onboarding Independent Power Producers, especially within the Solar PV sector (BPC 2020).

Can Botswana generate enough solar power?

With an annual Direct Normal Irradiation of 3000 kWh/m 2 /a, Botswana has a huge potential to generate enough solar power to meet its domestic demand and export to neighboring countries (International Trade Administration 2021). Overall, the country gets more than 3200 hours of sunshine per year.

Should Botswana import electricity from South Africa?

Since the Union of South Africa ran a highly developed power sector with surplus power, there was a consensus to avoid developing Botswana’s domestic resources further and instead import the electricity, just like many other commodities (Kanduza 2009, p. 40).

Is there a solar plant in Botswana?

While no major commercial solar operations are undertaken in Botswana, there is a 1.3 MW Phakalane Solar Plant operated by the Solar Projects Section of the BPC (2020). The plant was constructed in 2012 by the Japanese government through the JICA agency (Sunday Standard 2012).

What is Botswana's energy mix?

Botswana’s energy mix consists of three primary energy sources – the Morupule A & B coal-fired plants, which, based on their capacity factors, have a 360 MW capacity, the Orapa (90 MW) and Matshelagabedi (70 MW) diesel plants, and 150 MW imports (BPC 2020) (Fig. 3). No information was provided by the author.