Botswana Announces Solar PV Tender

• BPC has launched a tender seeking interested companies for 6 solar power plants in Botswana
• Broad scope of work is development, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the facilities
• It will accept duly filled in request for proposals to be submitted by March 25, 2022

State owned electricity utility of Botswana, the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has launched a tender seeking proposals from interested companies for the development of 6 solar PV power plants in the African nation.

Tender call was issued on January 6, 2022. Filled in RFPs will be accepted till March 25, 2022, according to the company's website.

The request for proposal (RFP) specifies the broad task as the development, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the facilities. However, the utility has not shared other specifics about the total capacity of the facilities or their location.

Details will be available to applicants directly once they reach out to the agency.

In July 2021, BPC entered power purchase agreements (PPA) with South Africa's Sturdee Energy for the country's 1^st 2 renewable energy IPP projects. BPC said this marked the rollout of 12 grid tied solar PV projects that it sees completing by the end of 2022 (see 'First' Renewable Energy IPP Projects In Botswana).

However big solar is also coming up here as Shumba Energy's plans to build a 100 MW facility was cleared last year by Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (see 100 MW Solar Power Project Approved In Botswana).

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), at the end of 2020 Botswana's total renewable energy capacity was only 6 MW, all of which comprised 6 MW.