State-owned Botswana Power Corp. has signed a power purchase agreement with a consortium of Chinese companies and others to build a 100-MW solar power plant in southern Botswana. The project is expected to begin production by the end of 2025.

Botswana Power has signed a power purchase agreement to build a 100 MW solar power plant in Jwaneng, a town in the southern part of the country.

The agreement is between Botswana Power and Sinotswana Green Energy, a consortium of Chinese and Botswana companies jointly formed by China Habor Engineering Co., China International Water and Electric Corp. and New Energy Company Proprietary Ltd., a local company. The project was tendered last year.

The agreement includes an engineering, procurement and construction contract, with operation and maintenance of the plant for 25 years. The plant is scheduled to begin production by the end of 2025.

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi said the project was a key milestone in the country’s energy transformation.

“Our journey towards energy security and transformation has begun in earnest and is unstoppable. This project marks another significant milestone in our commitment to national development,” Masisi said, adding that 460 of Botswana’s 565 villages have been electrified to date, representing 81% of rural electrification.

Botswana’s Integrated Resource Plan aims to secure 200 MW of renewable energy by 2030. The country has also set a target of integrating 50% renewable energy into the national energy mix by 2036.

According to data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 6 MW of solar power was installed in Botswana by the end of 2023.

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