Morupule B crackles back to life :: Mmegi Online

At least one of the four units at Morupule B power plant sputtered back to life this week, a development that partially reduces the country’s electricity imports. All four units at the 600MW Morupule B Power broke down last week, placing the country in a precarious position of relying on imports for100 percent of its electricity needs.

Addressing the media in Gaborone last week BPC CEO Jacob Raleru pledged that at least three of the four units would be fixed by yesterday. It has however emerged that the two Chinese who jetted in from Beijing last week to fix the boiler leaks have only managed to fix only one unit.

“Yes, only one unit is now generating power. We hope to fix the rest of the units by the end of the month,” BPC spokesperson Spencer Moreri told BusinessWeek yesterday. Two units broke down in September while the other two failed early this month. Constructed by Chinese company CNEEC, the plant was supposed to be fully operational by October 2012 but has been plagued by regular boiler failures in the past two years leading to widespread power cuts.

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