Botswana government responds to Morupule B travails with BPC reforms, IPP offers

Years of relying on imported power have left Botswana unprepared to meet demand through its own-build programme, but the recruitment of advisors for the troubled Morupule B, a tender for 600MW of private generation capacity and calls for an international partner to take control of the state power utility suggest Gaborone is getting to grips with the situation, writes Dan Marks. While the Southern African Power Pool and its biggest supplier, South Africa, have failed to provide sufficient electricity to make up supply gaps, Botswana has struggled to raise its domestic generation capacity. Another supply crunch is looming: South Africa’s Eskom, which generated 68% of the electricity consumed in Botswana in 2011, signed a much-reduced agreement in January to supply 100MW of firm capacity and another 200MW on a non-firm basis until 31 July.