The Botswana Power Corporation is implementing the Renewable Energy Based Rural Electrification project through its subsidiary ÔÇô Lesedi.
The acting Vice President and Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, told parliament as he delivered his ministry’s Committee of Supply speech.
The project provides solar home systems and mainly targets lighting, provision of efficient wood stoves and hot bags for cooking purposes at rural villages.
“Currently, over 130 solar home systems have been installed and more than 280 fuel wood efficient stoves purchased by households through BPC-Lesedi,” Kedikilwe told parliament.
The acting VP said the mission to explore other sources of energy, like biomass energy, continues.
“My ministry has an ambitious target of 25 percent contribution of renewable energy to the total energy mix by 2030. This includes both solar, biofuels and biomass. Local production of biodiesel is expected to contribute 10 percent of the diesel supply for generic use in the transport sector by 2020,” Kedikilwe told parliament.
The minister disclosed that, against this background, biofuels have the potential to increase growth for Botswana in the sectors of energy and agriculture, adding that the Energy Affairs Division is currently pursuing a number of initiatives to facilitate the adoption and development of biomass energy in the country.
To this end, the minister disclosed, a feasibility study for biodiesel production from animal fat and other potential feedstocks, including Jatropha, was completed last December. Jatropha is a bush that grows wild in many places in the world and is touted as a potential solution to the search for new sources of energy.
Kedikilwe said the study will guide development of the biodiesel industry in Botswana, which is targeting a 50 million liter/year biodiesel processing plant or a 10 percent blend by 2020. The study recommends that the plant can only produce about 10 000 liters per day instead of the original 20 000.
“For the project to be financially viable there is need for fossil diesel prices to be as high as P10.00. However, government can go ahead with the project for national strategic purposes like fuel security, as the fuel will be produced locally as currently all fuel is imported,” the acting VP said.
Kedikilwe said, to start off the initiative, a 5 million liters per year processing plant will be purchased this year, which will initially use meat tallow (animal fat) until 2016 and ultimately include Jatropha oil and vegetable oils as feed-stocks from thereon and beyond. The anticipated date of first production of biodiesel is towards the end of 2012.
Kedikilwe said in order to encourage investment in the bio fuel industry, his ministry has completed National Biofuels Guidelines.
“The guidelines are intended to assist investors with an overview of the processes to be followed and the national rules governing sustained and beneficial development of biofuels. They will also provide institutional framework for biofuels investment opportunities in Botswana,” Kedikilwe said.
