Does the botswana energy storage power station pay capacity electricity charges

How much electricity does Botswana need?

The average electricity demand for Botswana is at 850megawatts (MW), against ageneration capacity of 893MW. Demand of electricity is projected to grow to over 1200MW by2030. Additional energy is imported from South Africa. Botswana generates 48%of its power and imports 52%from the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP)7.

Why does Botswana need a secure electricity supply?

There is need to improve the security of power supply to support higher productivity.The country’s national electricity access rate increased from 62.6% in 2017 to 81.5% in 2020, in line with Vision 2036 that targets universal access by 2030. The average electricity demand for Botswana is at 850megawatts (MW), against ageneration capacity of 893MW.

Where does Botswana get its power?

In 2023, BPC agreed to procure up to 600 MW of power generation from a yet-to-be-built coal-fired power station. Additionally, Botswana imports the bulk of its power from South African utility Eskom, and the rest from Nampower (Namibia), Zesco (Zambia), and the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), to make up for any production shortfalls.

Is Botswana's energy demand outstriping its supply?

Botswana’s energy demand outstrips its supply, while her untapped energy sources are also high enough to meet both local and exports volumes.

Why does Botswana have a shortage of electricity?

This is mainly attributed to the rising level of affluence as well as the increased access to electricity. As other countries in the southern African region have also been experiencing energy shortages, Botswana’s proportion of imported electricity has gone down placing pressure on local production.

How much solar energy does Botswana use?

Botswana has tremendous potential for solar energy utilization, with an annual Direct Normal Irradiation equivalent of 3,000 kWh/m²/a in most parts of the country, with an average insolation on a horizontal surface of 21 MJ/ m².