BPC rolls out mini grids

Chief Executive Officer of Botswana Power Corporation (BPC), David Kgoboko has announced that his corporation has started rolling-out mini-grids in five selected villages after the approval by the new government. Addressing members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi during a tour of Morupule B power station near Palapye recently, Kgoboko explained that a mini grid is when a solar plant is set up in a village that is far away from the main grid and other technologies. BPC then builds a power reticulation system within that village, then install meters as opposed to building an expensive line from the grid to a village that could be hundreds of kilometres away from the grid. 

“Government has approved the roll out. We have identified five (5) villages where we are going to implement these mini grids. Building a line from the main national grid ta far flung areas can be quite costly in terms of the capital outline and maintenance of that line. The cheapest way is to look at mini grid solutions that we have started rolling out,” said Kgoboko. 

Kgoboko said Botswana is targeting to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030 and currently the country’s accessibility to generate electricity is at 74%. He said government has a vision of making Botswana an energy hub and therefore they, at BPC, must think big and not look at local consumption alone, they must look into exporting a significant amount of electricity to the region and must review their capacities in line with the new mandate of becoming an energy hub. 

One of Dikgosi representatives from kKgalagadi region said they are experiencing power cuts when it rains and when the power returns if damages their electronic devices such as fridges and others. The other Dikgosi representatives wanted to know about the amendment processes of carbon dioxide pollution on the environment, to which Kgoboko responded that they only have amendment processes for sulphur dioxide pollutions and noted that they need to work with institutions such as Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) to come up with solutions to address the carbon dioxide issue.