Work has begun on the 500 megawatt (MW) Maun solar-plus-storage project in Botswana, which will be a cornerstone of the country’s plan to reach 1.5GW of operational renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade.
The Maun solar project will be tied to 500 MWh of battery storage in northeastern Botswana, making it one of the largest projects of its kind in southern Africa. The government expects the project to begin commercial operations in 2029.
A 30-year power purchase agreement is in place between project developers Okavango Solar, wholly-owned by Oman’s NAQAA Sustainable Energy LLC, and Botswana Power Corporation. The project will be operated by Okavango Solar, a subsidiary of renewable energy company O-Green, which is itself owned by the Sultanate of Oman.
The start of construction at the project is a significant milestone for Botswana, which is seeking to make rapid changes to its energy mix. According to government figures, renewable energy currently accounts for 8% of the total generation mix, but the government’s latest Integrated Resource Plan aims to increase this to 50% by 2030.
“This is not merely a project, it is a clear statement that Botswana is poised to become a regional energy hub,” said Botswana President Duma Boko. “This will bring to light our broad ambitions of being a regional hub for solar energy generation.”
The project will be owned and operated by a combination of companies that are a part of the Botswanan and Omani governments. The Botswana government described the ownership structure as a “partnership” between itself and the Sultanate of Oman, where the project would be “executed” by the Botswana Power Corporation, a state-owned utility.
David Kgoboko, Botswana Power Corporation CEO, said the Maun project will play a key role in improving Botswana’s energy security.
The most recent figures from the World Bank show that energy imports accounted for around 30% of Botswana’s total electricity usage in the year to the third quarter of 2024, and this trend has increased more recently. Figures from Statistics Botswana show a 40.8% year-on-year increase in electricity imports between the first quarter of 2024 and 2025.
The World Bank also described the country’s energy generation as “increasingly unreliable”, as, in 2024, coal accounted for 97% of the country’s electricity generation, with the majority coming from the 600MW Morupule B coal plant, which “continues to underperform”.
Adding significant capacity of domestic electricity generation, through the form of a solar-plus-storage project, is therefore a priority for Botswana.
“The project will significantly enhance security of supply and will reduce our carbon footprint as a country, optimise the corporation’s generation costs through displacement of expensive power imports and will ultimately position Botswana as a net exporter of electricity in the region,” said Kgoboko.
The government’s latest update adds that Botswana’s utility-scale solar market has been progressing via two 100 MW-plus projects, the already-operational Mmadinare project, and the Jwaneng project, which it says is nearing full commissioning. Botswana currently has 181.5 MW of operational solar, according to the Africa Solar Industry Association’s (AFSIA) project database.
