Botswana power generation and energy storage

How does Botswana generate electricity?

Botswana relies heavily on fossil fuels for its electricity generation, depending on two major coal-fired power plants (Morupule A and B) and a number of diesel plants. Until recently, Botswana relied on electricity imports to meet up to 94% of its demand.

Does Botswana have a good electricity supply?

According to Statistics Botswana, local electricity generation and distribution has showed a slight improvement, increasing by 10.2 percent from 807,943 MWh during the fourth quarter of 2022 to 890,655 MWh during the first quarter of 2023. The increase was attributable to the performance improvement of Morupule A and B power stations.

How much power does Botswana generate a year?

There are two diesel operating stations – Orapa and Matshelagabedi, which serve the primary function of emergency power supply or when the Morupule plants are undergoing planned maintenance (BPC 2020) (Fig. 2). Taking a deeper look at historical power generation figures, Botswana’s annual generation has plateaued around the 3700–4000 GWh range.

What is the Botswana Power Corporation doing?

The Botswana Power Corporation is undertaking key projects that will expand the power grid and stabilize the power supply. The BPC has laid out coherent plans to improve access to electricity and to diversify the energy mix.

What is Botswana's energy potential?

For Botswana, the following technical potentials were identified: Wind (high capacity factor) – 1 152 MW. The least-cost analysis estimated a potential of 199 MW from renewable energy, 139 MW of which in utility-scale projects and 60 MW of-grid. The firm reserve margin would reach 23% in 2030, with zero net imports.

Does Botswana have a hydropower resource?

Botswana has a limited hydrology suitable for power generation, and regularly sufers from severe droughts and floods which make continuous use of large water resources dificult. Today, no hydropower resource has been used in Botswana and small hydropower potential (SHP) is currently estimated at 1 MW (UNIDO, 2016).