23 Feb 2016

The government through Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) is in the process of extending the national transmission grid to the northwest of Botswana through North West Transmission Grid Project (NWTG).

This was said by Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Mr Kitso Mokaila on Monday when answering a question in parliament.

He said Chobe District would be connected to the national grid on phase two of the project planned to be completed in 2019/2020.

Minister Mokaila said BPC was an operating member of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and was aware of the status of Kariba dam and other power generation plants in Zambia and other interconnected SADC member through SAPP Coordination Centre reporting.

He said the current agreements for cross-border power supply, into Chobe District from Namibia and Zambia are renewable.

Furthermore, he said the Chobe District would be connected to the national transmission grid in less than five years.

Chobe MP, Mr Machana Shamukuni had asked the minister to state if there were any plans to connect Chobe Constituency to the national power grid to reduce the constituency’s total dependence on imported electricity from Zambia (Kariba Dam Hydro electrical power station). Ends