Norway firm budgets P650m for Phikwe solar plant

Free but pricey: The natural raw material for solar is free, while operating costs are also very low. However, the high start-up expenses are where most projects flounder
Free but pricey: The natural raw material for solar is free, while operating costs are also very low. However, the high start-up expenses are where most projects flounder

Scatec ASA is mobilising funding to the tune of $49 million (P650 million) required to build the 50-megawatt solar plant at Selebi-Phikwe, the country’s single largest renewable project to date.

The Norwegian firm won a highly contested tender for the contract last August and this week published an estimate for the costs, as part of disclosures in its annual report.

The project is being done on an Independent Power Producer (IPP) basis, where Scatec will bear the costs of building, running, and maintaining the plant with the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) purchasing the power under a 25-year agreement.

Editor's Comment
BDP primaries leave a lot to be desired

The BDP as a party known to have ample resources has always held its primaries well in time, but this time around that was not the case. The first leg of the primaries was held last weekend, with the final leg being billed for the coming weekend. This time around, the BDP failed to shine in its primary elections. The elections were chaotic; most if not all polling stations didn't open at the specified time of 6am. Loyal BDP members braved the...

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