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AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec
BPC, Scatec sign PPA for 50MW
solar PV plant construction
BOTSWANA STATE-OWNED Botswana Power Corporation the project to be operational by June 2024,” BPC
(BPC) has signed a power purchase agreement CEO David Kgoboko is quoted as saying, add-
(PPA) with Norwegian renewable energy solu- ing that procurement of another large-scale solar
tions provider Scatec for the construction of a plant was underway.
50MW solar plant, the companies announced According to Reuters, Botswana currently
on August 31. does not have any large-scale solar power gen-
Scatec is one of the leading renewable energy eration and its 600MW national energy demand
solutions companies in the world with ongoing is predominantly met by state-owned coal-fired
wind, hydro and solar power projects in Africa, plants. However, the country plans to achieve
Asia and South America. a target of at least 18% of national production
The solar photovoltaic (PV) facility will be being generated from renewables by 2030.
BPC’s first utility-scale renewable energy project Scatec said the deal with BPC represents a sig-
as Botswana looks to boost power supplies and nificant development for Botswana and for the
increase clean energy shares, Reuters reports. green energy transition in sub-Saharan Africa.
Scatec will build the plant in Selebi-Phikwe, “We are proud to have reached this milestone
a former mining town 400km east of the capital with the BPC – demonstrating our ability to sup-
Gaborone. Under the terms of the PPA, Scatec port and deliver clean energy and infrastructure
will finance, build, own and operate the solar to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also a significant
plant and recoup its investment by selling elec- achievement for the people of Botswana,” said
tricity to BPC over 25 years. Jan Fourie, Scatec’s Sub-Saharan Africa general
“The plant is our first and largest utility-scale manager.
grid-connected solar PV plant, and we expect
Week 35 01•September•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P9
