Botswana, Namibia to forge 5-GW solar partnership - report

Botswana and Namibia are expected to ink a pact to jointly deploy as much as 5 GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity across their territories, Bloomberg reports, citing a government official.

The two Southern African nations are set to sign an agreement that will facilitate the feasibility study of the projects, Tom Alweendo, Namibia’s Minister of Mines and Energy, told the news agency last week. This study will be instrumental in defining the size of the scheme and identifying suitable sites for installing the capacity.

The goal of the project is to produce electricity mainly for export across the region. At present, both nations are highly dependent on power imports from South Africa.

Power Africa, a US government-led initiative, coordinated by The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will assist the two countries in structuring the deal, according to the report.

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