China-Africa: Botswana partners China in power deal
Botswana has signed a power deal with China to construct a 600 megawatts power station which will have four 150 MW units. The country’s state owned energy company signed the deal with the CNEEC-SBW Consortium to build the power station. Botswana has embarked on the project to boost its power supply.
A Reuters report said this will be a coal-fired and air-cooled power plant adding that it will be constructed adjacent to the existing 132 MW Morupule Power Station (Morupule A) near the town of Palapye, some 290 km from the capital Gaborone.
The country’s Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Ponatshego Kedikilwe said that the signing of the deal was a major step in Botswana’s power generation efforts.
“Project funding is being arranged and secured by government through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning. The Ministry has already made available 1.5 billion pula ($183 million) to facilitate early mobilisation of the project,” said Ponatshego.
The minister added that, it is expected that the contractor will start mobilising the site in February next year.
Power has been a problem in many African countries and Botswana’s power deal is expected to improve this.
(africanews)
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