This archive report was first published on 25 August 2020.
On August 25, 2020, Botswana and Namibia announced plans to develop a 5,000 megawatt solar energy project, a move that seeks to produce electricity mainly for export across the region and reduce their reliance on power imports from South Africa.
The project, which has been partnered with Power Africa, a US government-led initiative coordinated by The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to increase regional electricity exports and reduce the two countries' reliance on power imports.
Under the project's three-phase plan, the initial phase will focus on procuring 300 MW to 500 MW capacity to cover future domestic demand. The second phase will see the procurement of 500 MW to 1 GW capacity to cover regional demand within the South African Power Pool (SAPP) or through bilateral agreements. The third phase will involve the procurement of 1 GW to 3 GW capacity to meet demand in SAPP and Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP).
The electricity generated from the project will mainly be exported across the region, with Namibia aiming to achieve its renewable energy target of 70% for its energy mix by 2030.
Namibia has already made significant strides in solar energy, with the country installing over 100 MW on-grid PV in 2019, according to the Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2020-2024 of SolarPower Europe (SPE).
