US signs pact for up to 5-GW solar power project in Botswana, Namibia

The Biden-Harris administration has signed a memorandum of intent (MOI) regarding a plan to build a solar power complex of up to 5 GW in Botswana and Namibia. According to a Monday announcement, the US government will cooperate with those of the two African nations involved, the African Development Bank, the International Bank for Reconstruction …

Botswana is Now Looking for Bids to Build 200 MW of Concentrated Solar Power

Under a new integrated resource plan published by the government in December 2020, Botswana plans to build 200 MW of CSP capacity by 2026. The procurement process will start this year, it said. The plan, which received the backing of Botswana and Namibia government officials and the World Bank, proposed a phased approach to large-scale …

Botswana to build 200 MW of oncentrated Solar Power

Botswana plans to build 200 MW of CSP capacity by 2026, according to a new integrated resource plan (IRP) published by the government on December 15. The procurement process will start this year, it said. Botswana is a land-locked sub-Saharan country bordering South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. In total, the government has approved the construction …

Botswana Launches PV and Concentrated Solar Power Generation Plan

Government has developed a plan for reliable, safe and affordable electricity supply in Botswana. Launching the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) on December 15, Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security Mr Lefoko Moagi said the intension was to achieve an energy generation mix of at least 15 per cent renewable energy by 2030 …

Namibia-Botswana project for building both photovoltaic and concentrated solar power plants

The signing of an agreement between Namibia and Botswana to construct a mega solar photovoltaic project is imminent, Namibian Minister for Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo has shared. A full feasibility study will then follow to determine the location and size of the project setting in motion construction plans for the 5 GW solar project. …

New trans-Africa Concentrated Solar Power, PV plan tests regional scaling skills

A 4.5 GW solar build plan proposed by multilaterals and governments in Botswana and Namibia will present significant scaling challenges, requiring clear political momentum and a ramped tendering and development process, regional experts told New Energy Update. In August, the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Energy unveiled a giant solar expansion plan in …

A solar initiative will help southern Africa shine

Mega-solar projects – large-scale installations capable of producing upwards of hundreds of megawatts (MW) of power – are generating much-needed electricity in countries all over the world. In sunny southern Africa, however, a historic lack of public-private partnerships outside of South Africa and, until recently, Zambia, to develop such projects has left much of the …

Assessment of the concentrated solar power potential in Botswana

Highlights•Botswana has more than 1800 kWhy−1 of direct normal irradiance (DNI) which exceeds the threshold for economic viability of concentrating solar power (CSP) technology. Botswana has approximately 220,016 km2 of available land to support CSP plants, which represents approximately 38% of the total land area.•The largest proportion of available land relative to the district size is the …