North-West grid extension to create 8,000 jobs

Mbongeni Mguni | Tuesday January 23, 2018 17:00

 

Speaking in Shakawe yesterday morning at the launch of the North-West Transmission Grid (NWTG) project, Botswana Power Corporation CEO, Stefan Schwarzfischer said jobs created would come from new entities starting up and existing ones expanding. 

The first phase of the project is to run from January 2018 to December 2019, will involve 500-kilometre transmission lines and substations running from the 600MW Morupule B Power Station to Maun. 

The second phase will start in August 2019 and end in October 2020, running about 900 kilometres from the Phokoje substation near the South Africa border in the east, to the border tourist town of Kasane near the Zambezi River.

“The NWTG will provide grid access to all sectors of the economy such as mining, tourism, commercial, domestic and further improve the quality of electricity and reliability of supply in the country most importantly in the North Western districts thereby positioning the area as a lucrative investment zone for different economic players,” Schwarzfischer said.

The project will employ 2,100 people with approximately 81% being citizens.

Energy minister, Sadique Kebonang said the project would reduce the North-West region’s reliance on neighbouring countries for electricity and would aid in stimulating economic diversification.

Already, businesses in the North-West are gearing for the grid extension. Khoemacau Copper Mining, the most advanced mining project on the Kalahari Copperbelt, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Botswana Power Crorporation in order to power its 50,000 tonne per annum mine being developed for 2020. 

Over the years, the development of the 1,000-kilometre long Kalahari Copperbelt has been stymied by the lack of power, forcing miners to opt for expensive supply.