This morning President Masisi officiated at the ground breaking of 100 MW Mmadinare Solar Cluster , the first of its kind and scale in Botswana.
The phase 1 of this project will generate 50 MW and will completed in January 2025 and the other 50 MW 6 months later , bringing a total of 100 MW by July 2025.
The 100MW Mmadinare Solar is the first utility scale grid connected solar PV project and will be delivered through an Independent Power Producer (IPP) project structure.
The scope of the project entails the development, financing, construction,operation, and maintenance of a 50MW solar PV plant.
The Power Plant will be delivered and operated by Scatec ASA under a 25 Year Power Purchase Agreement with Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) as the offtaker.
In addition to the solar PV Plant, the scope of the project also includes construction of a 220 kV substation and the associated transmission lines toconnect the plant to the National grid.
The project will generate a total 100MW of clean energy after completion of the second phase.
Scatec ASA, was appointed by BPC through a competitive tender process initiated by the Corporation in February of 2020. The tender resulted in a Power Purchase Agreement which was signed between Scatec and BPC on 31st August 2022.
Thereafter, Scatec was allowed a period of 12 months to raise funding. Funding was secured from RMB, the corporate investment banking wing of FNB.
Funds were also secured from International Finance Corporation (IFC ) , the investment arm of World Bank.
