Solar Century Africa Limited and Energy & National Resource Corporation (Botswana) forge an alliance to pioneer a 100 MW solar project near Palapye, Botswana. Situated adjacent to the Morupule Coal Mine, this endeavour represents a major stride in delivering sustainable energy solutions to the region.
The project has secured its electricity generation licence from the Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) and successfully completed its grid impact assessment with the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC), clearing the way for the next stages of development.
Formalising their partnership through a Joint Development Agreement in 2023, Solarcentury Africa and ENRC are making substantial progress in obtaining the necessary approvals, agreements, and studies. Simultaneously, an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) is underway to ensure responsible and sustainable development practices.
This collaboration aligns with Solarcentury Africa and ENRC’s shared commitment to addressing Southern Africa’s power deficit by actively contributing to the renewable energy landscape. Focused on diversifying Botswana’s energy mix, this project plays a pivotal role in achieving the nation’s climate targets set forth in the recent COP28 framework in Dubai.
Integral to Solarcentury Africa’s broader strategy, leveraging its membership in the South Africa Power Pool (SAPP), the project joins the company’s portfolio of recently unveiled merchant projects, contributing to power trading growth in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Solarcentury Africa sees the merchant route as an opportunity to deliver significant new renewable power capacity quickly and cost-effectively, supporting the region’s energy transition and meeting growing power needs.
Jason de Carteret, CEO of Solarcentury Africa, expressed pride in the partnership, emphasising the project’s importance for Botswana. He highlighted achievements such as the generation licence and approved grid impact assessment, looking forward to reaching financial closure and initiating the construction phase.
Lionel Koster from ENRC voiced excitement about the collaboration, highlighting Solarcentury’s professionalism and extensive experience. Koster looks forward to achieving additional milestones and securing financial closure in 2024. He views the Lotsane Solar project as the initial step in a series of developments forged in partnership with Solarcentury Africa.
