The Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) has reminded developers, investors and organisations that generating electricity for supply to others or for sale requires a licence under Section 35 of the BERA Act, unless specifically exempted.
BERA said an Expression of Interest, Environmental Impact Assessment approval, land allocation or any other permit does not constitute an electricity generation licence. The authority emphasised that the licence must be obtained before construction or operations begin.
Conducting licensable activities without a licence constitutes an offence and may attract penalties, while projects may be barred from connecting to the electricity grid or selling power.
BERA has observed an increase in proposed large-scale solar projects and encouraged prospective developers to engage with the authority early for guidance on licensing requirements, application procedures, fees and timelines.
