Solarcentury Africa and ENRC Forge Strategic Partnership to Develop 100 MW Solar Project in Botswana

The site is located in Palapye, adjacent to the Morupule Coal Mine

The project has received its electricity generation licence from BERA and has also finalised its grid impact assessment with BPC

Solar Century Africa Limited (“Solarcentury Africa”) and Energy & National Resource Corporation (Botswana) Pty Ltd (“ENRC”) are proud to announce a strategic partnership to develop and build a 100 MW solar project near Palapye, Botswana. This pioneering project, strategically positioned adjacent to the Morupule Coal Mine, signifies a major leap forwards in sustainable energy solutions for the region.

The project has received its electricity generation license from the Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (“BERA”) and successfully concluded its grid impact assessment with the Botswana Power Corporation (“BPC”). These crucial approvals pave the way for the project to proceed to the next stages of development.

Having formalised their partnership through a Joint Development Agreement in 2023, Solarcentury Africa and ENRC are making significant progress in obtaining all necessary approvals, agreements, and studies for the project. Concurrently, an environmental and social impact assessment (“ESIA”) is underway to ensure responsible and sustainable development practices.

The collaboration between Solarcentury Africa and ENRC aligns with their shared commitment to addressing the power deficit in Southern Africa by actively contributing to the renewable energy landscape. With a focus on diversifying Botswana’s energy mix, this initiative will play a pivotal role in achieving the nation’s climate targets as set forth in the recent COP28 framework in Dubai.

Notably, this project is integral to Solarcentury Africa’s broader strategy, leveraging its membership in the South Africa Power Pool (“SAPP”) as a market participant, announced in November 2023. The project will join Solarcentury Africa’s portfolio of recently unveiled merchant projects, reflecting the company’s dedication to driving power trading growth in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Solarcentury Africa believes that the merchant route opens up the opportunity to deliver significant new renewable power generation capacity quickly and cost effectively. This will contribute to the energy transition in the region and help meet the region’s growing power needs.

Jason de Carteret, CEO of Solarcentury Africa said, “We are very proud to partner with ENRC on this project, which we feel holds great importance for Botswana. We are continuing to develop the project and are thrilled to have achieved some important milestones already, including our generation license and approved grid impact assessment. We look forward to reaching financial close on this project and beginning the construction phase. The project will provide some much-needed green power to help alleviate some of the energy deficit issues we are seeing in the region.”

Lionel Koster, of ENRC said, “We are thrilled to partner with Solarcentury Africa on the Lotsane Solar project. After a long and extensive search for a professional and experienced renewable energy developer, Solarcentury has already proved their worth as a worthy co-developer and partner. We look forward under the project leadership of Solarcentury Africa to continue reaching further major milestones on this project and financial close in 2024. We hope this is the first of many projects developed together with Solarcentury Africa”.

About Solarcentury Africa
Solarcentury Africa is one of the leading renewable energy developers in Africa with over ten years of experience operating on the continent. Headquartered in the UK with a physical presence in several countries in Africa, it is a market leader in the development of solar PV and energy storage projects using smart energy technology and controls in sub-Saharan Africa. Solarcentury Africa’s projects, partnerships and technologies generate clean power for investors, businesses, and communities. Solarcentury Africa is part of the BB Energy Group.

About Energy & National Resource Corporation (Botswana) Pty Ltd
ENRC is a Republic of Botswana based Energy Company, with a clear mandate to investigate and perfect a model for independent power projects within the Republic of Botswana, to supply power to South Africa and other SAPP countries. ENRC received an electricity generation licence from the Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (“BERA”) on 14 June 2020. The generation licence was granted on the basis of the supply of energy from either coal fired, solar, hydrogen and methane gas sources and for a total amount of 600MW. An updated licence issued for 100MW of solar for Lotsane Solar was issued on 31st October 2023.

About BB Energy
BB Energy was founded in the 1960s and today is one of the world’s leading independent energy trading companies, with a fast-growing renewable energy and emission reduction division. The company has some 500 employees in 12 offices around the world, with key trading hubs in London, Dubai, Houston, and Singapore. Solarcentury Africa sits within the BB Energy Group.

Media Contacts

Karim Bassatne
Head of Corporate Communications
T: +971 4 432 8300
E: corporatecommunications@bbenergy.com