11 Aug 2014

Failure to implement some initiatives geared towards renewable energy is a cause for concern, says the Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Mr Kitso Mokaila.

Speaking at the Renewable Energy Conference in Gaborone on August 11, Mr Mokaila said some of the projects that failed to see the light of the day included the Botswana Renewable Energy Technology (BRET) project and Manyana photovoltaic (PV).

The Manyana project issue was followed by the failure of the National PV Rural Electrification programme, which was intended to disseminate photovoltaic (PV) electrification throughout Botswana, he said.

He said another system with the capacity of 5.5 kilowatts peak (KWp) was also constructed in Motshegaletau to supply electricity to the local school, clinic, kgotla, households and streetlights.

“All of the above have unfortunately not been sustained beyond the piloting phase,” the minister lamented. Mr Mokaila said, despite such setbacks,  government’s commitment and pursuit towards renewable energy had never ceased.

He said his ministry, through partnership with Global Environment Fund (GEF), undertook a study for identifying and overcoming the barriers to widespread adoption of renewable energy-based rural electrification in Botswana.

The main objective of the study was to develop an action plan for the establishment of a sustainable infrastructure for providing energy services to off-grid communities, using low greenhouse gas emission energy technologies.

Minister Mokaila said the study identified key barriers such as information, finance, policy, institutional arrangements, and perceptions, which are said to occur at several levels of the renewable energy sub-sector.

He said the study on the barriers led to the formulation of the Renewable Energy-based Rural Electrification for Botswana (RE Botswana), which gave birth to Botswana Power Corporation’s (BPC) Lesedi in 2010.

Through BPC Lesedi, 600 solar home systems had been installed and a mini-grid at Sekhutlane, with a capacity of 9 KW was in its four years of existence, he said.

The minister said the failures of BPC Lesedi were attributable to the inappropriate business model and under capitalisation. He added that strides had been made such as the 1.3 MW grid connected PV power station, commissioned as a pilot project in 2012 in Phakalane, which was still working.

He said they had also completed a bankable feasibility study for 100 MW Concentrating Solar Thermal Power Plant (CSTP) completed in 2013. The minister said a study on renewable energy feed-in tariffs hd also been completed and efforts were underway to implement its recommendations.

“The stumbling block has been the sluggish economy as a result of the world economic recession and low electricity tariffs that require heavy government subsidy for electricity consumption,” he said.

Mr Mokaila said Botswana was embarking on a research project in collaboration with the Japanese government to cultivate Jatropha that will be resistant to the extreme weather patterns of Botswana.

It was hoped the species cultivated will provide feedstock for biodiesel production. He also decried the deficiency of the policy framework for the Energy Sector in general and the renewable energy in particular.

He said the energy policy was being drafted and expected to be ready for approval next year. It will provide a policy framework to guide effectiveness and sustainability in energy planning, development and provision.

“Renewable energy objectives and strategies will form part of the core of this policy,” he said. Also, the Renewable Energy Strategy was to be developed, the minister said. Ends