Mining company opens 30 MW solar tender in Botswana

Diamond mining company Lucara Botswana, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lucara Diamond Corp., is running a tender for a 30 MW solar project.

The solar plant will supply electricity to the Karowe diamond mine in northcentral Botswana. The mine, operated by Lucara Botswana, opened in 2012 and currently relies on grid electricity and diesel generation to support its operations.

The chosen developer will be responsible for the financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the solar facility under a long-term power purchase agreement. 

The invite to tender says the project may be implemented in two phases. The first phase should cover 20 MW of grid-tied solar, while the second should encompass another 10 MW of solar integrated with a 20 MWh battery energy storage system. The project has been given a targeted commercial operation data of 2027 to 2028.

Lucara Botswana is inviting qualified developers to submit an expression of interest by July 10. Enquiries related to the tender will be accepted until July 3.

The Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) has tracked 184.7 MW of operational solar in Botswana to date, according to figures available in its online database, 27.7 MW of which comes from the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector. The database adds that a further 318 MW of C&I solar is in various stages of development across Botswana.

In April, a groundbreaking ceremony took place for a 500 MW solar project to be tied to 500 MWh of battery storage in northeastern Botswana, making it one of the largest hybrid solar projects under development in southern Africa.