Expansion of Matshelagabedi plant nears completion
Pauline Dikuelo | Friday September 4, 2015 15:13
The expansion follows a contract that the BPC signed with APR Energy to expand the capacity of Matshelagabedi power plant from 70 MW to 105 MW.
According to BPC Chief Executive Officer, Jacob Raleru the expansion of the plant will be ready for commissioning in October this year. “Matshelagabedi power plant is almost done. We expect it to be fully commissioned by the middle of next month.
It is an emergency plant, meaning that if we can get power from the region, we do not have to run it,” he said.
The power plant will feature diesel power modules that have been redeployed from APR Energy’s former project in Libya.
The contract builds on a relationship that began in 2009 where APR Energy first developed a 70MW solution for the utility to supplement electricity imported from neighbouring countries.
At the time it was installed, APR Energy’s Francistown project was the largest temporary power station of its kind to be implemented within the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
APR Energy sold the power plant facility to BPC in 2014 to ensure reliable power generation into the future.
The 35MW project adds generation capacity to improve BPC’s ability to provide reliable power to domestic industrial customers.
The Matshelagabedi diesel plant together with the 90MW Orapa Plant, have played a critical role in alleviating electricity shortages in the past five years, as the country faced consistent power outages due to the failure of the 600 MW Morupule B power station.
As part of efforts to secure adequate power, BPC recently ran tenders for the extension of Morupule B power station by a further 300MW.
Botswana currently has a peak demand of around 600 MW, but this figure is expected to rise to 850 MW in the next three years.