Energy and Botswana
On this page you can find links to Internet sites with energy related information about Botswana.
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General Botswana
 

	Renewable Energy Information Network Botswana (REINBO)
	Renewable Energy Information Network (REIN) of Southern African countries. This site contains the information on the Botswana co-ordinator.  Information available includes:  News (Newsletters, News Flashes)  Renewable Energy Projects (Project and System Information)  Stakeholders (Key Renewable Energy Players)  Activities (Promotional Activities, Events, Publications)

Botswana energy balance of 1997 (by EIA)

Botswana energy sector U. S. Department of Commerce - National Trade Data Bank, November 3, 2000

Electricity
 

Botswana Power Corporation (BPC)

The Botswana Power Corporation, a parastatal body, was formed by Government decree in 1970 to expand and develop electrical power potential in the country. From small beginnings of one power station in Gaborone and a network that extended some 45 kilometers outside the city, the power utility's responsibilities, along with the national network, have expanded enormously. Information from the SADC-online internet site

	Botswana Power Corporation(BPC)
	MBendi profile for the Botswana Power Corporation

	Botswana focuses on electricity network (African Energy Volume 1 No. 3)
	Unlike the electricity supply utilities of many countries in Africa Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) constantly weighs up its options of importing against expanding its own generation facilities for both economic and strategic reasons

Botswana Plans Electricity For All By 2016 by Panafrican News Agency (November 9, 2000 ), Gaborone, Botswana

Botswana plans to provide electricity to all its citizens by 2016 if the current momentum of connections and developments are sustained.  According to a senior official of the Botswana Power Corporation, a new scheme has been introduced to speed up connections and offer prospective customers more affordable and flexible terms.  He said the new system is aimed at speeding up fixing power lines to villages and other target areas from the national grid.  In the new system, dubbed the Hire Purchase Scheme, customers no longer have to pay the bulk of the connection fee up-front.  Under the scheme, customers using power less than 35 KW will be required to pay a deposit of 5 percent of the connection fee. The remainder of the sum will be paid over an 18-month period at zero interest.  The same terms will apply to those whose power requirements are over the 35 KW mark. The only difference is that they would pay a deposit of at least 10 percent.  Previously all those seeking power connections in Botswana were required to pay up-front.  The new scheme will first be piloted in Gaborone and Palapye, a town 240 km north-east of the capital, before it is rolled out to the rest of the country.  However the scheme would not include the corporation's old customers.  Current statistics show that the corporation customer base has recorded a 12-percent growth in 1999 mainly due to the stepping up of the rural electrification programme.  So far 22 percent of Botswana's population have access to electricity, surpassing the SADC average of 17 percent.  The corporation plans to add another 14 percent to its customer base in 2000 after the launch of an ambitious project in conjunction with the government to connect 70 more villages to the national grid by 2001.  (Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200011090173.html)

The Botswana rural electrification programme

A rural electrification programme has been one of the ways in which Botswana promotes rural development in areas where other complementary resources enhance the development potential of electrification. This scheme continues to play a major role in cultivating potential consumer interest and increasing connections. An increasing number of rural consumers have benefited from these power connections, with 11 more villages expected to be connected to the national grid during 1994/5 (Information from the UNTPDC African site)

Solar energy
 

	Photovoltaic Lighting in Rural Botswana: A Pilot Project by John Geche, Solar Research Officer and Julia Irvine, Information Officer, Rural Industries Innovation Centre, Kanye, Botswana (in Renewable Energy for Development of September 1996, Vol. 9, No. 2)
	Electrifying remote areas using solar photovoltaics is being tested in a pilot project in the village of Manyana in Botswana. The project will provide guidance on how a larger scheme can be designed to allow more households to benefit from solar power.

Evaluation of the Manayana PhotoVoltaic electrification project by James Porter, Renewable Energy for Africa Development, July 22 1994

The Manayana Project was started in 1992 as the first phase of a programme to introduce renewable energy technologies into rural Botswana.  The project had overwhelmingly positive impacts on the lifestyles and economy of the rural community with nearly universal interest by non-electrified households in purchasing systems despite some shortcomings of project participant selection and PV system design.  The photovoltaic home systems reduced energy cost for the users and provided a significant number of end-users with money making opportunities. The PV home systems also increased the amount of reading done by the users. This increased level of reading had corresponding positive impacts on education, Finally, the home PV systems resulted in increased socializing and entertaining in the household, drawing the community closer together.  The street lights also had substantial benefits to the community. They increased security and freedom of movement, reduced criminal activity and facilitated socializing and participating in the political process.  Finally, there are very strong perceptions of improved health care in Manyana stemming from the availability of hot water and faster medical service.  All the technologies in this pilot project together have created a conducive environment for more socializing, meeting, learning and greater village development.  Despite technical problems, the technologies have proven themselves viable and desirable by the residents of Manyana.

Commercial Photovoltaic Electrification in Botswana, article by M.M. Sekgabo (via Wire)

Prior to 1997, commercial electrification in Botswana had been undertaken by the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC). The Department of Electrical and Mechanical Services (DEMS) has the function to provide power by stand-alone diesel generator sets and centralised power supply systems in rural areas to cater for Government institutions, where grid power is not economically viable to connect. This set-up left a vacuum as to the provision of power on a commercial basis to areas that are far from the grid and sparsely populated. To address this problem the Government of Botswana introduced the National Photovoltaic Rural Electrification Programme (NPVREP) in March 1997. This came after the evaluation of the Manyana Photovoltaic Pilot Project conducted by the Renewable Energy For African Development (REFAD), which recommended replication of the project in other villages on a commercial basis. A follow-up study to assess 'ability and willingness to pay' for solar lighting systems had been conducted in 1996 at Manyana, Takatokwane and Molepolole (Zhou, 1996). The findings of this study were positive, indicating that there is a demand for at least 237 installations in the three villages. Subsequently it was decided that the programme be implemented nation-wide instead of being limited to only the three villages.

Windenergy
 

Wind Pumps in Botswana: Pros and Cons by Molebatsi T. Mosimanyane, Rural Industry Promotion Company, Botswana in Renewable Energy for Development October 1995, Vol. 8, No. 3

Although wind energy has been exploited in Botswana for a long time, its contribution to the total energy balance remains minimal. In fact, the total contribution of all renewable energies to the energy balance for Botswana is only 1 TJ. Wind energy alone, contributes with less than 1% of this figure. At present, wind energy is utilised for pumping water for livestock and for domestic supply in rural areas.

Organisations
 

The Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Affairs

The Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Affairs has the portfolios responsibility to coordinate development and operational activities in the energy water and minerals sector. Specific programmes and projects to fulfill these responsibilities are carried out by Ministries' departments (Geological Survey, Mines and Water Affairs) and parastatals (Botswana Power Corporation and Water Utilities Corporation)

	Energy related addresses Botswana
	Botswana entries from the World Energy Efficiency Association (WEEA) addresses database.

	Botswana Technology Centre  (or  entry by MBendi )
	The BTC was founded in 1979 as a non-profit organisation with the specific aim of assisting the people of Botswana to identify appropriate technological choices. By using readily available resources and knowledge the BTC was to evaluate and adapt new technologies which would meet the needs and challenges specific to Botswana. The BTC is the ocal representative of the SAREIN network.

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Last modified on 20 June 2001 by Wim Klunne

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